First Drive

It would be easy to believe that the small car was in its death throes, its demise brought on by environmental legislation that makes these mini marvels unprofitable despite their inherent efficiency of movement and less greedy use of raw materials.

This impression is only heightened by the decision to axe the Ford Fiesta, production of which ceases in only a month or so after more than 40 years of service.

However, if this really is the case, then nobody has bothered to tell Renault. For starters, there are the retro-themed Renault 4 and Renault 5 EV concepts that have been wowing show crowds and are soon to be a showroom reality. Moreover, bosses have also revealed that there’s an all-new Clio on the drawing board, its design as good as signed off. But before we get to that there’s still the current car to consider, which has just received a mid-life refresh.

Given the cost of meeting impending EV legislation and the wafer slim profit margins in superminis, it’s no surprise to find that this is more mild makeover than full-on refresh. In fact, mechanically the Clio is pretty much identical, the changes being merely cosmetic and aimed at boosting showroom appeal - although a top five placing in Europe’s 2023 sales charts suggests the French machine is hardly lacking in popularity, even if it does play second fiddle to its value-for-money cousin, the Dacia Sandero.

As a result, the most obvious changes are cosmetic, with a more aggressive design for the front and rear bumpers, slimmer LED headlamps, an eye-catching daytime running light signature. Added together they give the Clio a more purposeful stance, especially in the new range-topping Esprit Alpine trim tested here. A replacement for the old R.S. Line, this packs plenty of Alpine logos inside and out, patriotic tricolore inserts and some 17-inch alloys that feature natty hub caps that mimic centre lock wheel nuts.

Inside, there’s the same neatly designed dash and generous use of high grade materials, which combine to create a surprisingly classy feel. Renault also makes a great play of the cabin’s sustainability, with at least 60% recycled materials used throughout and a strict ‘no leather’ policy. There’s also more standard kit across the board, including a digital instrument cluster for all versions and slick portrait touchscreen infotainment screen (7-inches as standard, 9.3-inches on the Esprit Alpine). And while the rear seat remains a little cramped, the boot is one of the biggest in the class, measuring up to 391-litres.

To keep things simple Renault has slimmed down the range, with just three trim levels -  Evolution, Techno and our Esprit Alpine range-topper. It’s a similar story under the bonnet, where engine options are limited to the familiar 0.9-litre TCe petrol and 1.6-litre E-Tech hybrid. UK bosses had planned to go further still and offer just the petrol-electric unit as part of its bid to deliver an all-electrified line-up by 2024, but their hands were forced by price sensitivity in the current economic climate, resulting in the smaller, cheaper three-pot motor being retained. That said, La Regie still reckons the hybrid will be the bigger seller, taking nearly two third of sales, so that’s the car we drive here.

So, what’s it like? Well, as you’d expect it’s very much like the old car, which means it’s only a few quirks away from outright excellence. It steers accurately and with decent dusting of dynamism, while low speed stiffness aside there’s strong comfort and refinement - this is a small car that’ll happily tackle big distances.

Then there’s that trick hybrid system that combines a 24bhp starter generator with a bigger 48bhp electric motor, a 1.2kWh battery and turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol, all of them driving through the unique four-speed multi-mode automatic transmission that uses dog rings instead of synchros. It's a complicated set-up but in most circumstances operates with commendable smoothness and simplicity.

Around town it usually runs in smooth and silent EV mode, while the electric motors add useful mid-range torque-fill when the ICE needs to chime in. Only when worked hard can the system get wrongfooted, with the odd jerky change and a coarse note from the four-cylinder unit when it’s in a race for the redline. However, for most daily chores the system is unobtrusive and remarkably efficient - matching the claimed 67mpg isn’t as hard as you’d think, while CO2 emissions dip under 100kg.

Prices have yet to be announced, but when it finally hits showrooms in August expect the entry-level petrol to dip under £20,000, while our full-house Esprit Alpine E-Tech should still leave you change from £25,000.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio super saloon has met with little but glowing praise since its launch in 2016. It came like manna from heaven for a great many car enthusiasts who’d longed to see the Italian marque make a performance car you could compare with the very best in class. The agility and purity of the car’s rear-driven handling, its handling fluency and compactness on the road, and the idiosyncratic fierceness of its Ferrari-derived V6 engine all won it instant recognition.

Now, in a rare move in the modern performance car market, Alfa has moved to make the car better by actually making it simpler. The car gets the same mid-life tweaks that were deployed on the regular Giulia earlier this year - new headlights, a new ‘trilobo’ radiator grille, new digital instruments, and an updated infotainment system. But specific to the Quadrifoglio version is a hike in peak engine power to 514bhp, and a recalibration of the car’s suspension and driveline specification intended to give the car what Alfa performance engineering lead Domenico Bagnasco calls a ‘mini-GTA feel’.

Alfa’s ‘100 Anniversario’ version (which we tested, and celebrates the centenary of Alfa’s green cloverleaf iconography) gets gold-edged badging and detailing. There will only be 100 produced for the global market - and all coming to the UK are already sold.

With the aim of dialling out a little of the on-track frailty and dynamic scruffiness that the Giulia’s old damper calibration and torque-vectoring rear differential could create (the latter especially, which was given to overheating when given lots to do), fairly bold decisions were taken about this car's mechanical specification. For one, that electronically controlled ‘eDiff’ was chucked in the bin, replaced with a more conventional mechanical limited slip differential with a locking ratio of up to 35% under power and 50% on the overrun.

“We wanted more predictability, quicker chassis response, and more old-school handling feel from the car,” explains Bagnasco, “and so we also increased anti-roll bar stiffness on both axles, and firmed up the calibration of the electronic dampers when working at their firmest. The feeling of the rear axle - how quickly it follows the direction in which you’re steering - is now improved, and limit handling with the ESC switched off - a possibility we feel we have to include on an Alfa Romeo performance car - is more consistent.”

The Giulia’s low and well-supported driving position, simply laid out cockpit and controls, and sense of compactness and litheness on the road all still appeal as much in 2023 as they did in 2016. It doesn’t feel like a car seeking a higher-strung temperament either, as that ‘mini-GTA’ billing might have suggested. The ride and damper calibration remain gentle when you stick with ‘natural’ driving mode; the steering feels light but direct; and the engine and gearbox are mostly docile enough to rub along with in normal traffic, albeit with occasional moments of low-speed driveline shuntiness from the transmission.

The extra few horsepower, I rather suspect, is mostly for the birds. There’s no extra torque or turbo boost conjured by the 2.9-litre V6; just a slightly greater appetite for revs at the top end. It’s still a very appealing engine, with its elastic rush of mid-range torque and keenness for the redline - but it would benefit from a bit less exhaust rort and a bit more genuine combustion noise.

I needed the few laps afforded to us at the bumpy, cambered handling circuit at Montlhery Autodrome to really tell any difference made to the hot Giulia’s handling by Alfa’s chassis revisions; because, on the road, the car feels very familiar to drive, if perhaps a little more roll-resistant.

But on track, it does feel improved: better tied down over fast crests and through compressions, a shade more precise and feelsome in its high-speed steering - but most of all, more stable through tighter turns from the apex onwards, with greater traction. 

While fun, the original Giulia ‘QV’s active diff could pitch the car quite hard into corners initially via an overdriven outside rear wheel, only to throw its hands up once the car had started to slide and you were looking for assured traction to take you onwards. The new mechanical one feels quite mildly calibrated, but tolerates an exuberant line and input style better. WIth improved basic stability, you can fling the new Giulia around with greater confidence, but drive it out of corners much better - and still take it to lurid drift angles if you so choose.

This car will evidently continue in the same vein as it started, then; as arguably the most natural, poised, and intuitive-handling super saloon you can buy - just now with the track precision and staying power that it used to lack.

“We don’t really do facelifts,” said Polestar’s people at the UK launch of the not-facelifted Polestar 2.

Instead, it does subtler model-year updates and keeps its cars fresh where it can with over-the-air updates. And it’s true that the visual changes for 2023 are extremely minor. The fake grille has been filled in: Polestar now calls it the SmartZone because it houses the radar and camera for the driver assistance systems. And last year, the firm introduced some new wheel designs. The 20in option looks very snazzy indeed.

If this isn’t a facelift, it’s more of a gastric sleeve, because the big changes for 2023 are aimed at reducing the Polestar 2’s appetite for kilowatt hours. Like the mechanically related Volvo XC40 and Volvo C40 Recharge, the Polestar 2 gets a new, more efficient inverter and motor, which is now mounted at the rear, driving the rear wheels instead of the fronts. With that also comes a substantial power bump. The long-range, single-motor version we’re driving today is upgraded from 228bhp to 295bhp and can rapid charge at a speedy 205kW.

The result is a much more favourable WLTP energy consumption figure, rising from a rather poor 3.6mpkWh to 4.2mpkWh, which is actually better than Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 streamliner. And that’s despite the Polestar’s 'hatchaloon' shape (0.28 Cd) being nowhere near as slippery as the Ioniq 6’s (0.21). Add in a battery that’s 4kWh bigger than before and the result is an official range of 406 miles. That’s more than the Hyundai, the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, and the BMW i4 eDrive40. Quite the result.

The Standard Range, the Long Range Dual Motor, and the Performance Pack versions return as well, also with better efficiency and more power, and we’ll revisit them once we get our hands on them. It is worth mentioning that the entry-level car now has a claimed range of 331 miles, which could make it the sweet spot of the line-up.

All of which poses two main questions: can the revised Polestar 2 make good on its range claims in the real world, and does rear-wheel drive make it more engaging to drive?

To the first point, no EV actually matches its lab claims, and that includes the 2. After a route that included quite a few fast B-roads and motorway miles in very mild conditions, the car indicated 3.4mpkWh – not spectacular for something that isn’t an SUV but entirely respectable, and good for 267 miles. That’s on a par with the Ioniq 6, so job well done there.

The answer to the second question is a more equivocal ‘yes?’. Much of what we wrote about the front-wheel-drive single-motor 2 still applies, including the overall summary that it’s ‘good to drive’ rather than ‘fun to drive’. It has always had a surfeit of grip and traction, alert traction control, tight body control and little if any steering corruption. None of that changes with the switch to rear-wheel drive. Push it harder and you can feel a bit of rear-drive balance peeking through, but this ultimately feels like quite a grown-up EV, rather than a big MG 4.

If the handling feels quite sophisticated, the ride does not. It’s firm, which is fine, but the 2 doesn’t have the fine damping control to make it feel entirely cohesive. You can also hear the wheels clunk and thunk through potholes as much as you can feel it. It’s not an uncomfortable car as such. It's just that the suspension is missing a bit of polish.

The interior stays the same, which means it’s very Volvo, but with slightly more interesting materials. After the Ioniq 6’s curiously perched driving position, it is remarkable how normal it is in the Polestar. Space in the rear is nowhere near as generous, but still adequate, while having a hatchback makes the world of difference to the boot’s usability, if not the overall volume. Most of the annoyances that were present in the Google-based infotainment system at launch have since been ironed out and the result is that it works really rather well now.

The Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor starts at £48,950, which is midway between an equivalent Ioniq 6 and a Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor, while an i4 eDrive40 is several thousand pounds more.

In short, Polestar hasn’t messed with the 2’s looks but just made it better. Keep those not-facelifts coming.

There’s something a bit perverse about this facelift of the Peugeot 508 PSE. After all, it is very literally a facelift. There are no changes to the mechanicals of this beefy, plug-in hybrid executive, only stylistic ones - and, let’s be honest, the 508 PSE needed style updates like Google needs more brand awareness. It was really rather stunning.

The good news is that it still is. The whole fascia is new, with ‘three claw’ LED running lights, slimmer headlights and a gloss black grille being chief among the changes. Maybe it’s lost a touch of class with the more overtly aggressive contrast grille, but this is still a stunner and - to our eyes - even better in the SW estate body that we’re testing here.

The most significant news with this refresh is actually inside the 508, where the dated infotainment system has been replaced with a new 10in touchscreen, complete with new menu layout and high-def graphics. More on that in a bit. 

Performance still comes from a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and dual electric motors, with the motor up front being integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox and the rear motor powering the back axle via reduction gearing. That all adds up to 355bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.2sec. Usefully faster than any of the big VW executive PHEVs, be it Passat or Arteon. It’s a second faster, even, than the BMW 330e xDrive Touring. 

So it’s no surprise that there is an inherent brutality to the way the Peugeot 508 goes down the road. It has such a swell of power and torque, and it wants to deliver all of it, all of the time, if you’ll only let it. 

Sure, the 508 is also a doddle to drive moderately – damping, body control and steering all gel well and let you relax and get on with your day in peace if that’s what you wish - even while there’s always a lurking sense of impatience. Like a well-trained dog that walks well on a lead but is permanently quivering in anticipation of the moment it can run full pelt at the horizon.  

And do you know what? The power delivery in the 508 PSE is an endearing kind of lunacy; a restrained rabidness that’s entirely unique from any other PHEV and, frankly, it’s rather brilliant. 

Sure, the 508 isn’t remotely as delicate or tactile to drive as a BMW 330e, yet there’s no doubting the appeal to the scrappy, full-on attitude that comes from a similar school to other delightful nutters like the Ford Focus RS and Nissan GT-R.

Not only that, but the infotainment system won’t drive you to distraction any more. New i-Connect Advanced software brings a more responsive screen, better graphics and – crucially – a much more logical menu layout with a homepage containing up to 10 configurable shortcuts. It really is a huge improvement over the dated system in the pre-facelift 508, and you get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too. 

The interior still looks great, as well: complete with flashes of ‘Kryptonite’ stitching, it’s modern and classy, albeit a way short of the obvious German rivals for perceived quality. 

There’s plenty of space in the 508 PSE SW to serve as parental taxi, too, including 530 litres of boot space despite the hybrid powertrain. That’s more than the 330e Touring, and the 508 also matches the BMW’s CO2 figures and WLTP pure electric range of 34 miles. 

But (and you knew there was a massive one of those coming…) while the 508 has an undeniable appeal in the way it looks and the way it bludgeons its way down the road, it remains frustratingly difficult to justify. After all, the saloon costs nearly £54k, and the SW over £55k, meaning that, shockingly, a BMW 330e xDrive M Sport Touring is more than £4000 cheaper than this 508 PSE SW, even though it is has better handling, better interior materials, better infotainment… You get the picture. Peugeot has long been moving itself more upmarket, but it may have overestimated itself with this one.

It's frustrating, because the 508 PSE is such a characterful and fun thing. The theatrical, slightly bonkers, good-looking option that, frankly, you would be advised to avoid in favour of any of the objectively better and cheaper alternatives. It’s the underdog, and we all love one of those.

So, do you know what - if you are theatrical, a bit bonkers, flush with cash and looking for a saloon or estate that’s practical yet anything but boring, then do it. Buy a Peugeot 508 PSE. You’ll love it. You’ll love driving it, you’ll love looking at it, you’ll love living with it, and more than anything, you’ll love the attention and the very fact that it isn’t ‘just’ another 3 Series. 

Just don’t tell us that we didn’t tell you about all of the much more sensible options.

The new Peugeot 3008 is angling to step on Toyota’s toes with its new 48V hybrid system, which allows the car to drive solely on electric power at manoeuvring speeds and on very light load.

The French company reckons the system can deliver electric running for up to 50% of your driving time and cut fuel consumption by 15% over the standard Peugeot 3008 1.2 PureTech 130 EAT8 powertrain that it will replace across the Peugeot model range (including the 208) in the next year or so.

The system works with a 28bhp electric motor that’s integrated into a dual-clutch, six-speed automatic transmission, all of which feeds power from both the electric motor and the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine to the front wheels. 

We tried it in the 3008 - a popular enough model that it warrants a new engine even though the all-new version will be unveiled this autumn and on sale next year. Everything else stays the same on the 3008, including an interior that looks classy apart from the rather clunky, dated touchscreen interface. Even the 432Wh lithium ion battery is located under the front passenger seat, to leave the boot unencumbered by batteries and the 3008’s generally very decent practicality and roominess unaffected by the hybrid powertrain. 

Unfortunately, the drive is resoundingly ordinary. During low-speed electric running, you can feel the gearbox switching ratios, and an intrusive whine from the motor is so prominent in the cabin that you can hear it even when the petrol engine’s running. Perhaps more disappointing is that, despite an hour or so of largely urban running and liberal use of Eco mode and tiptoeing the throttle, we still managed only 6% of our journey on electric power, and an overall economy of 35mpg. There’s no button to force it into EV mode, which is a shame because there were a few times when we would have chosen to use it.

The thrummy 1.2-litre engine is in play most of the time, then, and it’s a cheerful engine that’s happy to rev. But even with the added gusto of the electric motor joining in, the 3008 feels laboured if you try even a moderately heavy burst of acceleration. A Toyota C-HR Hybrid is some 2.0sec faster to 62mph, for some context. Wheel-mounted paddles let you select a gear and the gearbox responds promptly enough and without any unpleasant jerkiness or hesitation. Even so, the paddles feel unnecessary, given the nature of the 3008, and if it wasn’t obvious enough already, the engine revs also take a while to drop when you lift off the throttle. There’s nothing like treacly falling revs to make absolutely certain that you won’t really want to drive the 3008 with much spirit. And that’s absolutely fine, because such use is hardly this car’s remit.  

Being comfortable and secure is what a family SUV like this is all about, and the 3008 is very much that. There are no changes to the suspension or steering set-up for this new engine, so you still get light steering that feels a touch overly keen at times because of the small steering wheel. Nice, loping ride comfort suits the 3008, even if the 18in wheels of our test car brought slightly abrupt bump absorption around town. While engine refinement isn’t great, wind and tyre noise isn’t too bad so this is also still a perfectly decent place to cover miles in. 

Naturally, a brake regeneration system harvests energy to feed back into the battery, but you can’t change the level of regen and it’s fairly mild and unobtrusive. Brake pedal response is a touch inconsistent at times as a result but it’s easy to get used to and isn’t too sharp or unpredictable. 

Overall, mooching around in the 3008 136 Hybrid is… fine. While you can hear and feel the powertrain doing its thing, it’s easy to drive smoothly and brings similar price, official company car tax costs and economy to rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Toyota C-HR. Plus, the 3008 remains decent for interior practicality. Prices and UK specification have yet to be announced, but it is expected to stay similarly well equipped to the existing 3008 models, and with this now officially a runout model ahead of the launch of its replacement at the end of the year, list price and finance deals are likely to be very tempting. 

So if the sums stack up, then the 3008 Hybrid will be a stoic and capable everyday family car. Just don’t let the fancy tech fool you: it’s no great sophisticate.