Car review
Car review
Maranello's stunning V12-powered GT is now a tempting modern classic - is it time to take plunge on a used example?
Ferrari’s answer to the Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin Vanquish in 2004 was a front-engined, long-nosed, rear-drive 540bhp GT that was the closest the firm had ever come to making a 200mph family car.On which note, let’s start with the practical stuff. With four seats, good visibility, soft leather upholstery and as much space up front as its nearly five-metre length would have you believe, the 612 Scaglietti has almost all the hallmarks of a consummate GT car.Almost, because its modest 240-litre boot is nearly half the size of the 450-litre Mercedes CL’s and 115 litres smaller than the Continental GT’s.But do you buy a Ferrari for its boot space? If you look past this shortcoming and regard the 612 as a GT that offers more character and driving engagement than outright utility, then it’s in a class of its own.It’s powered by a 5.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol V12, which redlines at 7500rpm and pushes the 1840kg car to 62mph in 4.0sec. It’s a fearsome, bulletproof engine (with timely servicing) and is as ready to tackle the demands of high-speed cruising, undulating road surfaces and race tracks as the balletically balanced chassis is.The car’s underpinnings employ a reinforced aluminium spaceframe, which makes it lighter than most of its contemporary competition. It weighs a whole 545kg less than the Continental GT, 13kg less than the CL and only 5kg more than the Vanquish.What’s more, 85% of that mass is within its 2950mm wheelbase and the weight is distributed 55% over the front axle and 45% over the rear.This translates to handling prowess. The car’s poise, balance and willingness to play in even the most mundane of situations make it wonderful to hustle around bends, both on a track and on the road.Better still, it combines this with a magnificent V12 that howls and wails with the fortitude of a Vulcan jet on demand, yet at a cruise settles into a relaxed, hushed gait that lets you engage in small talk with your passengers.You might find that the car’s design arises as a topic of conversation. There were plenty of weirdly proportioned GTs being launched when this car came out in 2004 – the Continental GT, CL and Maserati Coupé are no oil paintings – all pandering to the same design ethos, with concave bodies, small, rounded headlights and swage lines on every available surface.The Ferrari was much the same, with most contemporary reviewers using words such as “ungainly” and “awkward” to describe it. Whether or not you agree is your prerogative. In your correspondent’s eyes, it has commendable draws, but it’s far from the prettiest Ferrari ever made.And being a Ferrari, there was only one engine available in a standard trim level, but you could specify it with options such as the HGTS and HGTC trim packs, which cost £7505 and £15,675 respectively.These brought stiffer anti-roll bars, a gearbox with 10%-faster shifts and a fruitier-sounding exhaust.All cars came with leather upholstery, climate and cruise control, a Bose stereo and electric front seats. The drivetrain was offered with the option of a six-speed semi-automatic, but a six-speed manual was also available.Sure, some of the 612’s rivals may be slightly better looking and wear badges that carry a similar degree of car park cachet, but none of them sounds as good, steers as well, feels as lively or has the same split personality as the 612.
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 2004-2011 Review | Giga Gears – Pre-owned
Maranello's stunning V12-powered GT is now a tempting modern classic - is it time to take plunge on a used example?
Ferrari’s answer to the Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin Vanquish in 2004 was a front-engined, long-nosed, rear-drive 540bhp GT that was the closest the firm had ever come to making a 200mph family car.On which note, let’s start with the practical stuff. With four seats, good visibility, soft leather upholstery and as much space up front as its nearly five-metre length would have you believe, the 612 Scaglietti has almost all the hallmarks of a consummate GT car.Almost, because its modest 240-litre boot is nearly half the size of the 450-litre Mercedes CL’s and 115 litres smaller than the Continental GT’s.But do you buy a Ferrari for its boot space? If you look past this shortcoming and regard the 612 as a GT that offers more character and driving engagement than outright utility, then it’s in a class of its own.It’s powered by a 5.7-litre naturally aspirated petrol V12, which redlines at 7500rpm and pushes the 1840kg car to 62mph in 4.0sec. It’s a fearsome, bulletproof engine (with timely servicing) and is as ready to tackle the demands of high-speed cruising, undulating road surfaces and race tracks as the balletically balanced chassis is.The car’s underpinnings employ a reinforced aluminium spaceframe, which makes it lighter than most of its contemporary competition. It weighs a whole 545kg less than the Continental GT, 13kg less than the CL and only 5kg more than the Vanquish.What’s more, 85% of that mass is within its 2950mm wheelbase and the weight is distributed 55% over the front axle and 45% over the rear.This translates to handling prowess. The car’s poise, balance and willingness to play in even the most mundane of situations make it wonderful to hustle around bends, both on a track and on the road.Better still, it combines this with a magnificent V12 that howls and wails with the fortitude of a Vulcan jet on demand, yet at a cruise settles into a relaxed, hushed gait that lets you engage in small talk with your passengers.You might find that the car’s design arises as a topic of conversation. There were plenty of weirdly proportioned GTs being launched when this car came out in 2004 – the Continental GT, CL and Maserati Coupé are no oil paintings – all pandering to the same design ethos, with concave bodies, small, rounded headlights and swage lines on every available surface.The Ferrari was much the same, with most contemporary reviewers using words such as “ungainly” and “awkward” to describe it. Whether or not you agree is your prerogative. In your correspondent’s eyes, it has commendable draws, but it’s far from the prettiest Ferrari ever made.And being a Ferrari, there was only one engine available in a standard trim level, but you could specify it with options such as the HGTS and HGTC trim packs, which cost £7505 and £15,675 respectively.These brought stiffer anti-roll bars, a gearbox with 10%-faster shifts and a fruitier-sounding exhaust.All cars came with leather upholstery, climate and cruise control, a Bose stereo and electric front seats. The drivetrain was offered with the option of a six-speed semi-automatic, but a six-speed manual was also available.Sure, some of the 612’s rivals may be slightly better looking and wear badges that carry a similar degree of car park cachet, but none of them sounds as good, steers as well, feels as lively or has the same split personality as the 612.
Car review
The driver's crossover returns with a new design and a much-needed tech lift - is it now the best in class?
The Ford Puma now has the unenviable task of picking up where the Fiesta left off.It must become the brand’s crucial entry-level model that draws buyers in with a well-sorted chassis, new interior technology, good practicality and competitive fuel efficiency before they migrate to cars further up the range later in life, and it must be a worthy successor to the pre-facelift model, which is the UK's best-selling car.Now that the compact crossover class is bursting at the seams as manufacturers cash in on demand for SUVs, the competition tussling for your attention against the Puma has never been so hot.Crucially, though, the Puma always had a trump card. This segment had long been devoid of something genuinely good to drive, until the pre-facelift car came along in 2019. Sharing a platform with the now-departed Fiesta, it became the dynamic benchmark in its class, and this new one wants to continue that legacy.How, then, does the smallest Ford measure up to the likes of the Nissan Juke, Skoda Kamiq, Renault Captur and Volkswagen T-Cross? Let’s find out. The Ford Puma range at a glanceThe UK Puma line-up is relatively straightforward. Power comes from Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol three-pot, which is available with either 123bhp, 153bhp or 167bhp in the top-rung ST. Eeach one features mild-hybrid assistance and is mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard, but the 123bhp engine can also be had with a six-speed manual gearbox.Titanium spec represents the entry level and is followed by ST-Line, and ST-Line X. A battery-electric version of the Puma is in the pipeline, but this is not scheduled to go on sale until early 2025.
Ford Puma with Giga Gears
The driver's crossover returns with a new design and a much-needed tech lift - is it now the best in class?
The Ford Puma now has the unenviable task of picking up where the Fiesta left off.It must become the brand’s crucial entry-level model that draws buyers in with a well-sorted chassis, new interior technology, good practicality and competitive fuel efficiency before they migrate to cars further up the range later in life, and it must be a worthy successor to the pre-facelift model, which is the UK's best-selling car.Now that the compact crossover class is bursting at the seams as manufacturers cash in on demand for SUVs, the competition tussling for your attention against the Puma has never been so hot.Crucially, though, the Puma always had a trump card. This segment had long been devoid of something genuinely good to drive, until the pre-facelift car came along in 2019. Sharing a platform with the now-departed Fiesta, it became the dynamic benchmark in its class, and this new one wants to continue that legacy.How, then, does the smallest Ford measure up to the likes of the Nissan Juke, Skoda Kamiq, Renault Captur and Volkswagen T-Cross? Let’s find out. The Ford Puma range at a glanceThe UK Puma line-up is relatively straightforward. Power comes from Ford’s 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol three-pot, which is available with either 123bhp, 153bhp or 167bhp in the top-rung ST. Eeach one features mild-hybrid assistance and is mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard, but the 123bhp engine can also be had with a six-speed manual gearbox.Titanium spec represents the entry level and is followed by ST-Line, and ST-Line X. A battery-electric version of the Puma is in the pipeline, but this is not scheduled to go on sale until early 2025.
Car review
The Prius we were told we couldn't have goes on UK sale after all – and it's good
It’s two years since the wraps came off the Mk5 Toyota Prius and the company told UK buyers we wouldn’t be able to buy it.Sales of the previous model had slowed dramatically to fewer than 600 a year, as private Prius buyers had quickly migrated to the cooler-looking Toyota C-HR, while private hire buyers were being nudged towards Toyota Corolla estates – a move that suited them because it had more luggage space and that suited Toyota GB because the Corolla is British-built.But finally here we are, and the model name that, I think it’s fair to say, got the great car-buying public used to a degree of electrification finally returns to the UK. In short, enough people wanted it.In some markets, it's offered as a series hybrid, but in all European markets including the UK, it's a plug-in hybrid only.
Toyota Prius Giga Gears
The Prius we were told we couldn't have goes on UK sale after all – and it's good
It’s two years since the wraps came off the Mk5 Toyota Prius and the company told UK buyers we wouldn’t be able to buy it.Sales of the previous model had slowed dramatically to fewer than 600 a year, as private Prius buyers had quickly migrated to the cooler-looking Toyota C-HR, while private hire buyers were being nudged towards Toyota Corolla estates – a move that suited them because it had more luggage space and that suited Toyota GB because the Corolla is British-built.But finally here we are, and the model name that, I think it’s fair to say, got the great car-buying public used to a degree of electrification finally returns to the UK. In short, enough people wanted it.In some markets, it's offered as a series hybrid, but in all European markets including the UK, it's a plug-in hybrid only.
Car review
New seven-seat SUV will soon join XC90 in showrooms as a technological trailblazer for Volvo’s all-electric future
New 90-series Volvo SUVs like the Volvo EX90 tend to live long and notable lives.The first-generation Volvo XC90 was still remarkably popular despite being the oldest car on sale in the UK by the time the second-generation model arrived in 2014, that car ushering in new everything for Volvo under Geely ownership.Platform, engines, styling: the current XC90 set the tone for the most successful ever era of Volvos that would follow, and like the original car before it, feels like it could go on for some time yet.And it will, but it will not be the only seven-seat SUV in Volvo’s range anymore. The EX90 is an all-new electric model, and like its range mate ushers in a whole host of new technology and features that will follow on all Volvos in the coming years as the Swedish firm continues apace with its ambition to only offer electric cars by 2030.For now, the EX90 and XC90 will dovetail but if the XC90 is where Volvo is, the EX90 is where it is going.In keeping with statement 90-series Volvo SUVs, the EX90 doesn’t arrive simply as an electric version of the XC90. It gets a new bespoke architecture for electric cars called SPA2 that’s got lots of latest EV technology like a whopping-great 111kWh (gross) battery in the floor and twin motors for all-wheel drive and up to 510bhp, but it’s the computing power of this platform that its maker is most proud of, and a future battleground for car makers beyond traditional oily bits.
Volvo EX90 with Giga Gears
New seven-seat SUV will soon join XC90 in showrooms as a technological trailblazer for Volvo’s all-electric future
New 90-series Volvo SUVs like the Volvo EX90 tend to live long and notable lives.The first-generation Volvo XC90 was still remarkably popular despite being the oldest car on sale in the UK by the time the second-generation model arrived in 2014, that car ushering in new everything for Volvo under Geely ownership.Platform, engines, styling: the current XC90 set the tone for the most successful ever era of Volvos that would follow, and like the original car before it, feels like it could go on for some time yet.And it will, but it will not be the only seven-seat SUV in Volvo’s range anymore. The EX90 is an all-new electric model, and like its range mate ushers in a whole host of new technology and features that will follow on all Volvos in the coming years as the Swedish firm continues apace with its ambition to only offer electric cars by 2030.For now, the EX90 and XC90 will dovetail but if the XC90 is where Volvo is, the EX90 is where it is going.In keeping with statement 90-series Volvo SUVs, the EX90 doesn’t arrive simply as an electric version of the XC90. It gets a new bespoke architecture for electric cars called SPA2 that’s got lots of latest EV technology like a whopping-great 111kWh (gross) battery in the floor and twin motors for all-wheel drive and up to 510bhp, but it’s the computing power of this platform that its maker is most proud of, and a future battleground for car makers beyond traditional oily bits.
Car review
Low-key facelift aims to keep fashionable electric family SUV near the top of the pile
Until not long ago, trailblazing electric cars from Kia and Hyundai weren't very exciting. They’ve looked like their conventional counterparts (which was entirely the point), they left keen drivers a little cold and, other than in the broadest sense, they didn’t pioneer any new technology. But the Kia EV6 represented the marque shifting gears with its EV line-up and leaving behind the compromises of platforms that need to also accommodate an engine.Since launching just three years ago, it has sold more than 210,000 units worldwide - and while cheaper alternatives from the likes of Volkswagen, Skoda and Tesla have a bigger share of the UK market, the sheer number of them you see on the road is testament to its popularity. It seems like only recently that we were first getting aquainted with this futuristic saloon-coupé-SUV-fastback, but such is the unrelenting pace of progress in this industry that Kia has already seen fit to treat it to a round of updates.The aim is mostly to bring it into line, technically and visually, with the newer Kia EV9 flagship SUV - and EVs 3, 4 and 5 that will follow over the coming months. But surely bosses will have been nervously mopping their brow as a tidal wave of rivals launched over the past couple of years with comparable charging speeds, ranges and material quality - so there will be an element of attempting to recapture a competitive edge here, too.Plus, like all distinctively styled 'mass-market' cars, the EV6 has become something of a victim of its own popularity, and has arguably lost a smidge of the visual drama that got us all talking when it was revealed, so what harm can zhuzhing up the design do?Not that this is one of the more dramatic facelifts. The Kia EV6’s face has indeed been lifted (full-width light bar, redesigned headlights, tweaked splitter), but that’s your best bet for immediately distinguishing the latest version of this big-selling family EV from the original, aside from the new wheel designs, colour options and even less obviously fettled rear end.The headline of this update, though, is an increase in usable battery capacity from 77.4kWh to 84kWh, giving the most efficient EV6 a commendable official range of 361 miles and making it comfortably one of the longest-range electric crossovers on sale. Charging speed is up a touch, too, from a 239kW maximum to 258kW, theoretically allowing a 10-80% top-up in just 18 minutes.Throw in some subtle but noticeable changes to the cabin and a few technical enhancements, too, and there's reason to suspect that the ever-changing electric SUV market is once again destined for a bit of a shake-up.
Kia EV6 with Giga Gears
Low-key facelift aims to keep fashionable electric family SUV near the top of the pile
Until not long ago, trailblazing electric cars from Kia and Hyundai weren't very exciting. They’ve looked like their conventional counterparts (which was entirely the point), they left keen drivers a little cold and, other than in the broadest sense, they didn’t pioneer any new technology. But the Kia EV6 represented the marque shifting gears with its EV line-up and leaving behind the compromises of platforms that need to also accommodate an engine.Since launching just three years ago, it has sold more than 210,000 units worldwide - and while cheaper alternatives from the likes of Volkswagen, Skoda and Tesla have a bigger share of the UK market, the sheer number of them you see on the road is testament to its popularity. It seems like only recently that we were first getting aquainted with this futuristic saloon-coupé-SUV-fastback, but such is the unrelenting pace of progress in this industry that Kia has already seen fit to treat it to a round of updates.The aim is mostly to bring it into line, technically and visually, with the newer Kia EV9 flagship SUV - and EVs 3, 4 and 5 that will follow over the coming months. But surely bosses will have been nervously mopping their brow as a tidal wave of rivals launched over the past couple of years with comparable charging speeds, ranges and material quality - so there will be an element of attempting to recapture a competitive edge here, too.Plus, like all distinctively styled 'mass-market' cars, the EV6 has become something of a victim of its own popularity, and has arguably lost a smidge of the visual drama that got us all talking when it was revealed, so what harm can zhuzhing up the design do?Not that this is one of the more dramatic facelifts. The Kia EV6’s face has indeed been lifted (full-width light bar, redesigned headlights, tweaked splitter), but that’s your best bet for immediately distinguishing the latest version of this big-selling family EV from the original, aside from the new wheel designs, colour options and even less obviously fettled rear end.The headline of this update, though, is an increase in usable battery capacity from 77.4kWh to 84kWh, giving the most efficient EV6 a commendable official range of 361 miles and making it comfortably one of the longest-range electric crossovers on sale. Charging speed is up a touch, too, from a 239kW maximum to 258kW, theoretically allowing a 10-80% top-up in just 18 minutes.Throw in some subtle but noticeable changes to the cabin and a few technical enhancements, too, and there's reason to suspect that the ever-changing electric SUV market is once again destined for a bit of a shake-up.