Long-Term Review
2024 Genesis G70 Shooting Brake Long-Term Review | Giga Gears
This car doesn’t make much sense on the face of it. But did we love it anyway?
Why we ran it: To see if this old-school compact executive estate had new-world charms
Month 1 - Month 2 - Month 3 - Specs
Final report: This car doesn’t make much sense on the face of it. But did we love it anyway?
I don't know how easy it is to recommend the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, a car that's sufficiently old-fashioned in ethos that it would be an expensive choice to own yet so rewarding in its execution that it's tempting to guide people towards it anyway.
To recap: Genesis is the posh arm of Hyundai like Lexus is to Toyota or Infiniti is to Nissan - the latter no longer in Europe after discovering how hard it is to convince people to buy into a new prestige brand.
That's Genesis's first challenge, then. Add in launching during a pandemic with a 2.0-litre petrol estate that returns 31mpg when everybody is buying SUVs and when EVs are hugely incentivised as company cars and you get an idea of why it isn't common to stumble across a G70 Shooting Brake today.
It's a shame because I've enjoyed the time I've spent with this car. It's easy and practical to rub along with, sensibly and logically laid out inside and rewardingly characterful to drive in a way that taller cars generally aren't.
It came in 2.0-litre Sport form, then costing £41,995 before options (of which there were many fitted) - although back then you could have it with a 2.2-litre diesel instead.
As with the BMW 3 Series which is the G70's most obvious rival, this once would have been unmistakable company car territory for executives whose car list would have included compact saloons and wagons.
The G70 petrol's corresponding 217g/km of COz emissions, which puts it into the 37% benefit-in-kind tax bracket, is why it's a much harder sell than it once would have been.
Still, this is a pleasant engine, driving through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a limited-slip differential to the rear wheels. You can decide how brappily augmented its sound is by the car's speakers through a comprehensive and attractively designed infotainment system that happily isn't lumbered with operating too many driving functions.
Such is the array of physical switchgear that it's possible to go through a journey without using the touchscreen at all - once, that is, you have spent a minute or two the first time you drive it setting the driver assistance settings to the levels you want. Otherwise, the number of bings and bongs can drive you to distraction.
The Innovation Pack as fitted here adds no more functions to the touchscreen (yay) but does give you a head-up display, blindspot monitoring, all-round parking cameras and 3D-look instruments. It's quite cool, but at £3250 then or £2670 now, I think I'd live without it.
It's harder to call the Comfort Seats or the stereo upgrade without trying the alternatives. All G70 wheels are now 19in and fitted with racy Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, but 18s were standard when our car arrived. Every alternative is now dark-coloured, though, which I think is a shame.
The ride is agreeable and the handling benefits from the G70 being low-slung. It has slick steering, a pleasant balance and limited body roll. It's reasonably firm on the 19in wheels, but I like the amount of control that it has.
I did pick up a puncture, which was in no way the G70's fault, and even if there had been a smaller wheel size with more sidewall, I suspect I still would have done.
That was one of few expenses: the car used no oil or coolant and nothing went wrong. And while service intervals are short, at just 6500 miles, for the first five years there's no cost to those either.
Included in the list price is a Care Plan that comprises a five-year warranty, five years of servicing (with Genesis picking up the car and returning it later) and a courtesy car. So it's about as hassle-free as it gets: make a phone call or send an email, engage in a little to and fro to sort dates and wait for it to happen.
There are also free over-the-air software updates, although I doubt there will be too many of those.
In terms of fuel economy, what's reasonable to expect? I saw a fairly routine 31mpg - not much under, not much over. In a leggy diesel, you might expect to squeeze considerably better MPG out of a tank if you've done, say, a lot of leisurely motorway running, but with this petrol car it didn't seem to make much difference, even over a very long run to Scotland and back.
We've got used to talking about much better economy than this, but if we've turned buyers off diesels but they can't drive electric, this is where we are.
If you're in this fairly conservative sphere, then, the 3 Series Touring, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate and Audi A4 Avant all still loom fairly large. It would be a niche choice to pick the G70 in that company, but I would entirely understand it.
Second Opinion
I had a blat in Prior’s faux-Flying Spur and came away with the distinct notion that, lacklustre economy aside, it’s a pretty tight match for its German rivals in terms of dynamism, finish and raw kerb appeal. I thought I might even name it my favourite swish exec – but then I drove an M340i
Felix Page
Love it:
Key fob The buttons are big and the locker has little knobbles, so once you’re familiar, you needn’t look at it.
Steering shortcut You just need one long button press on the steering wheel to disable or enable this ‘aid’, which is a bonus.
All those buttons The list extends to one to dim or brighten the dials – a vanishingly rare but really welcome perk.
Radio readout The frequency is displayed like old-school Nixie tubes. It’s almost worth listening to AM for that look.
Loathe it:
Black wheels I like the design but not the colour. It makes it hard to see their shape and they show up dirt readily.
Final mileage: 9014
Life with a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Month 3
Four-cylinder petrol estate gets a deserved break from the rigours of everyday life - 24 January
A trip to drive a Kia EV9 near Inverness just a week or so before Christmas gave me a chance to stretch the legs of my Genesis G70 Shooting Brake, which was otherwise being relegated to daily duties.
Not that there was anything wrong with the way it was handling those: the shops, the gym, the commute, the weekly trips to intercept Steve Cropley to record our podcast.
There's a lot to be said for a car that fits so seamlessly into your morning routine that, like turning on a tap, opening a sock drawer or locking the front door, you barely notice the event: get in, push a couple of buttons, twiddle the wheel and pedals a bit and get out at the other end. But a car deserves better.
I had to be at Inverness by 9.30am to start a day's driving in the EV9, so I'd broken up the outbound journey overnight and driven most of it in the dark on the quickest (ergo least interesting) route.
But knowing that I could make an early start on the way back, I wanted to take in some of my favourite roads through the Cairngorms. If you tell a sat-nav system you want to go from Inverness to Perth via Braemar, you get directed the right way, up and over the old military road and past the Lecht and Glenshee ski centres.
The ski lifts weren't running, but it had snowed a bit, and while Scotland's wonderfully named gritters there's an online tracker, and Penelope Gritstop isn't far away as I write) had been out and about, they can't cover minor roads.
The G70 runs Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, which isn't exactly frozen-road friendly; it has rear-wheel drive; and I'd seen -7c on the instrument panel. So I vowed that if at any point progress looked iffy, I'd just turn around and head back to cleared main roads.
However, beyond the cloud and fog, it was gloriously sunny and black asphalt responds to that, so it never got worse than a tiny bit slushy underwheel, even at the road's highest points.
I wouldn't have fancied it on my motorbike and I didn't wander off the road into snowy car parks or lay-bys, but it's just such a nice drive that I'm glad I made the time.
I stopped in Braemar for an early lunch and then, once past Perth, let a Google Maps and Waze combo suggest the quickest route home. I've heard recreational flying described as an expensive way to go for a cup of tea.
Recreational driving like this could be similarly dismissed as a long diversion for a cheese toastie.
But hey, it's a hobby. With stops, it was a 520-mile, 12-hour day, with the only lowlight being a short section of motorway held to a 20mph speed limit with the matrix boards saying "oncoming vehicle". (Thankfully it turned out incident-free.) Some matrix messages are ignored, but that seemed to get people's attention.
While I was away, news came through that Genesis UK's corporate structure was being melded into Hyundai's (not that customers should notice any difference). With a launch hampered and delayed by Covid and selling niche ICE cars (like this one) before moving on to EVs, Genesis UK hasn't had the easiest start to life.
And while I like the G70 Shooting Brake a great deal and would have happily climbed into it and done the return journey all over again the next morning, a glance at a trip computer reading 30.2mpg isn't terribly helpful.
As a result, I suspect there's a relatively small group of drivers for whom the G70 is the 'right' car: those who don't want diesel or electric or an SUV or a BMW 3 Series. If they do try the G/, though, I think they will like it.
Jack Harrison
Love it
Keep on rolling
Sad that I am, I like seeing a sat-nav display that tells me the next instruction is another 233 miles down the road.
Loathe it
The moustache
I like the look of the G70, so it’s a pity that forward-facing safety tech necessitates a weird-looking block in the centre of the grille.
Mileage: 8714
Radio gives the modern-looking Genesis a retro feel - 3 January
I’m a huge fan of the radio display on the G70 Shooting Brake’s touchscreen. When you select DAB, the station names are rendered in orange neon on black, retro style. It’s cool, yet nowhere near as cool as the Nixie tube rendering for the frequency on medium wave. Shame I don’t listen to it
Mileage: 6850
Life with a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Month 2
Even without its free servicing, it’s pretty cheap – for a Bentley - 20 December
The number of times people have mistaken the Genesis for a Bentley is mounting. And curious, given Bentley doesn't make a five-door estate car, but there must be something about the nose that does it.
If there's good news for Bentley in this, it's that the frighteningly limited and expensive Batur, which I think it's reasonable to admit the G70
Shooting Brake's nose resembles, clearly entered the public's consciousness to a healthy degree. To be honest, finding the two parked next to each other would be one of the UK's rarer car park spots.
Given Genesis's rarity and that this car is a relative unknown in the marketplace, it's also interesting to gauge how expensive people think it is. More than its £42,000 price (before options) is the short of it.
This car does have around £3500 worth of additional leather, which presumably lifts the interior ambience a little (I haven't been in a G70 without it to compare), but still - three in five people (it's a small sample size) thought that it's more expensive than it is.
It's also pleasing to think that people who see a load of interior buttons and dials separate to the touchscreen, plastic though they are, don't see it as cheapening the interior - and ergonomically I'm enjoying its excellence.
Typically, I've found people assume that the G70 is a £60,000-plus car. So maybe they're on top of recent car price hikes better than I am. This is a traditionally old-school compact executive estate car with a base price that just skips under £40,000.
Included in that is a five-year warranty and also five years of servicing. And the latter is just as well. As the odometer crept towards 6000 miles, 1 got a ping on the dashboard telling me that an oil change service would shortly be due.
A bit soon, I thought but figured that plenty of modern cars have an oil quality monitor on board and that this car could have arrived with us having done plenty of road testing with other magazines.
And I sometimes have no option but to accelerate briskly from relatively cold temperatures onto a busy, fast road when I leave home. Anyway, on checking the service manual, it turns out that oil changes are required every year, or 6500 miles.
The average UK car travels 8000 miles a year but this is a new compact executive estate car, which implies it might end up running rather more than that. Genesis makes it easy - after a couple of swapped calls and emails, they picked the car up and later dropped it back (both while I was away on a job), service completed.
I guess after five years of free looking after, it's likely a car will have gone onto a more gentle use case, where it might want only one check a year, but if you're doing 20,000 miles a year, it's worth remembering there will be a little fatigue - albeit at no cost- every few months.
The cost comes at the fuel pumps: I'm still returning only a little over 32mpg from this 2.0-litre turbo petrol wagon. And as a company car, given it's a 204g/km vehicle, it would also be expensive to run as a benefit in kind, nestled firmly into the 37% tax banding.
The company car tax system has rather decided to leave cars like this behind, so no wonder it's a niche thing. It's a bit of a shame. I'm finding it very amenable, even if you are almost as likely to bump into a Bentley Batur.
Love it
Black Ops
Easy to feel the lock and unlock buttons on the key fob in the dark.
Loathe it
Lane keep assist is too full of false positives – but very easy to turn off.
Mileage: 6940
Life with a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake: Month 1
The Genesis gets hit by a winter pothole - 22 November
Gah! In some roadworks that briefly narrowed, an oncoming car pushed me towards the verge. Thunk! The damaged sidewall slowly seeped air and proved unrepairable. After I had spent £220 on a Michelin Pilot Sport and wondered if I should bill the local council, I went back to find not a pothole but the pointed metal edge of an access cover, newly exposed. I bet I wasn’t its only victim.
Mileage: 5970
Welcoming the G70 to the fleet - 8 November 2023
On our fleet, I’ve gone from running a Citroën C5 X to an Alpina D3 S Touring to a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake. So if you want to know what a niche posh wagon is like, it would appear I’m your man.
Still, nicer than yet another SUV, no? It is to me, anyway. Genesis sells some of those too, of course, and with or without electrification, but this G70 Shooting Brake is a compact executive estate of much more traditional style.
Back when sales reps ruled the motorways and ‘i’ on the back of a car stood for ‘important’, many more cars were like this. It’s a 4.7m-long and 1.85m-wide estate – both dimensions less than 3cm from a BMW 3 Series Touring – with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. That’s turbocharged too, to make 241bhp at 6200rpm, and drives the rear wheels only, through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
There are three models in the G70 Shooting Brake line-up. The £39,545 Premium, without or with a £4430 Luxury Pack, and the £41,995 Sport, which this is. It takes the Premium’s standard features (there are many) and adds things like a heated steering wheel, uprated brakes, leather seats, an electric tailgate, adjustable dampers anda limited-slip differential.
Into my third estate on the go, though, I have come to remember how much I enjoy cars like this. It’s lower than so many crossed- over alternatives, and unlike the G70 saloon, which is a global car, Genesis’s German-based team designed and made the estate specifically for Europe so that they could tune it just for the likes of us.
A kerb weight of 1787kg is towards the upper end of where I’d like it to be, but otherwise we’re very much in the agreeable territory I’d have wandered into as a travelling regional sales and service manager. Forward my calls to the car: I have fax machines to sell in a modern industrial park at the other end of the M4.
At least, that would have been the case before benefit-in-kind tax rates for combustion and electric cars diverted quite so massively and has EV drivers paying a 2% benefit-in-kind tax rate, and G70 Shooting Brake drivers paying tax on 37% of the car’s value on account of the 2.0-litre turbo’s 217g/km CO2 output. Which means it’s a car for the private buyer. Which means you don’t see very many.
In fact, I’m not sure I’ve seen another since it arrived with us. That should be no huge surprise. If Genesis, the posh branch of Hyundai, is committed to us Europeans like Lexus (of Toyota) was, and Infiniti (parent: Nissan) ultimately wasn’t, these things take time. Decades, not just years.
Lexus has sold cars in the UK since 1990, when it moved 582 of its groundbreaking LS luxury saloons. Last year, it sold a little over 10,000 cars, which is pushing on for £500 million worth, so business well worth having, but still less than a tenth of the number of BMWs sold here, 33 years after the LS’s launch.
Globally, Genesis now sells more than 200,000 cars a year, which makes it about a third the size of Lexus and a tenth of BMW – both impressive numbers given it has only existed since 2015. But last year, the UK accounted for just 1000 of those. So it’s a niche prospect.
None the worse for it, in my view. And I think it deserves a wider audience than it’s getting. So far, while it’s early days, the G70 is proving a rewarding car to live with. It did take a few minutes to find and disable a shocking number of bongs.
Shortly after getting aboard the car for the first time in Twickenham, on the westbound M3 I was comfortably under the speed limit and about to divert onto the M25, but because I was driving roughly towards a 50mph average speed camera section, it wouldn’t shut up about me doing over 50mph, even though I’d have pulled off the motorway before I reached it. So I had to find and mute that, and then everything else.
There are ways to make them stay off too. So a single, long deliberate press of the lane keeping assistance is now the only button I have to press when I set off, which is otherwise confusingly gnawing at the wheel within 30 seconds of leaving the driveway.
The G70 has to have these things, of course. What it doesn’t have to have but, praise be, does anyway is a number of big, easy-to-reach physical buttons. You'll likely have read about my beef with the Volvo EX30’s user interface. One of its engineers told me he believed the touchscreen was just as good to use as, if not better than, separate real buttons and dials.
I didn’t believe him then and I believed him even less when I returned to the UK and climbed back into the G70, popped on the heated seat and steering wheel, turned up the temperature, turned down the radio and adjusted the mirrors and the sensitivity of the windscreen wipers all with the merest cursory glance – and could do so without looking away from the road at all, if I tried. This stuff is vitally important. And, frankly, screw the arrogant, misguided car makers who think otherwise.
Given that, I could almost not care how well the G70 Shooting Brake otherwise drives. Thankfully, I’m finding that agreeable too, probably because it’s lower than your average SUV. More on the dynamism, though, next time.
Second Opinion
I had a quick go in Prior’s G70 during a photoshoot recently (yes, I took a shooting break) and found it... fine. It sounds pretty fruity and steers neatly enough, but the shadow of the 3 Series looms large, and only a few thousand miles will determine whether the Genesis can step out from underneath it.
Felix Page
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake 2.0 T Sport specification
Prices: List price new £41,995 List price now £42,870 Price as tested £52,425
Options: Innovation Pack £3250, Leather Seat Pack £2470, Comfort Seat Pack £1850, sunroof £960, Lexicon audio £790, Mallorca Blue metallic paint £750, 19in wheels £360
Fuel consumption and range: Claimed economy 29.5-30.2mpg Fuel tank 60 litres Test average 31.2mpg Test best 32.4mpg Test worst 30.0mpg Real-world range 412 miles
Tech highlights: 0-62mph 6.9sec Top speed 146mph Engine 4 cyles in line, 1998cc, turbocharged, petrol Max power 241bhp at 6200rpm Max torque 260lb ft at 2000-4500rpm Transmission 8-spd auomatic RWD Boot capacity 465-1535 litres Wheels 255/40 R19 (front), 255/35 R19 (rear) Tyres Michelin Pilot Sport 4S Kerb weight 1787kg
Service and running costs: Contract hire rate £604pcm CO2 212-217g/km Service costs None Other costs £220 (replacement tyre) Fuel costs £1167 Running costs inc fuel £1387 Cost per mile 20 pence Faults None
BYD Atto 3 2024 Review: Long-Term Test by Giga Gears
First impressions aren’t always reliable but you can be sure of these final ones...
Why we ran it: To find out if this quirky newcomer is a serious prospect or a flash in the pan
Final report - Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with a BYD Atto 3: Final report
First impressions aren’t always reliable but you can be sure of these final ones - 10 January 2024
There's a very good reason why we conduct more than one type of testing here at Autocar. Spend just a few days with a new car and it can be all too easy to focus on the negatives, whereas with a sustained period together it can work its way under your skin - and that's just what has happened with the BYD.
But let's deal with those negatives first. For one, this is not an exciting car to drive. Not a bad one, by any means, with a decent turn of speed, fluid yet inert steering and a fair amount of body roll but reasonable composure. It corners tidily and competently, but you won't find yourself seeking out favourite roads for a longer route home.
Then there are the controls. Just adjusting the radio or changing the seat heaters requires you to enter the maze of the infotainment system. The screen itself is massive and clear and rotates through 90deg (though I am still not exactly sure why), but the menus are far from intuitive and you'll have to tether your mobile with a cable - conventional USB only, even though there is a micro-USB port - if you want to take advantage of Apple CarPlay via Bluetooth, however.
The climate control is frustrating too. Turn off the power-sapping (and noisy) air conditioning and the Atto 3 has a tendency to mist up, and finding the perfect temperature isn't always easy, This system: you'll find yourself making regular adjustments to keep things comfortable.
But the greatest irritation for me was the insistent beeping of the collision sensor, which seemed to be convinced every parked car I passed was about to jump out in front of me, even applying the brakes quite forcefully on a few occasions, so I tended to delve into the menu maze to try to turn it off when I remembered.
The thing is, working around most of the above became second nature fairly quickly, and if you can look past the frustrations, there is an awful lot to like about this deceptive car. Deceptive because what looks like an innocuous and relatively compact SUV on the outside is in fact remarkably spacious, particularly in the rear, making it an ideal family wagon (despite a relatively compact boot).
The quirky interior has been criticised for being a bit naff, but the fun didn't really wear off in our time together - and every newcomer to it commented on the funky colours, the jazzy lighting, the wacky door handles and particularly the guitar-string door pockets, which aren't as irritating as they sound.
It feels well made too. The heel pad of the driver's footwell mat wore through very quickly, but otherwise the fit, finish and solidity couldn't be faulted, and the slightly narrow seats were comfortable and supportive, with a good driving position, as well as stylish although I am pretty sure that what BYD calls vegan leather' was in my day known as vinyl.
It's also practical, with well-placed storage cubbies and a useful wireless phone charger - just one small element of a spec list that is near-impossible to fault (even if the odd former Kia driver may bemoan the absence of a heated steering wheel).
As for the dreaded subject of range, the fact that it's a topic that has barely crossed my mind either means that I, like so many of us, am simply getting used to life with an EV, or that the BYD's is useful enough for it not to be a concern. I tend to lean towards the latter.
Around town and on shorter journeys, 200-plus miles was perfectly possible - more if you are a bit less enthusiastic with the heated seats and the air-con - and it was only fast motorway runs that really sapped the Atto 3's energy.
Usefully, there are two settings for the range readout on the binnacle: the usual optimistic stab in the dark, or what BYD calls 'Adaptive Mode'. I call it 'Honesty Mode'. When you trust what the car is telling you, then you are more inclined to use the battery's capacity rather than desperately seek a charge every time you drop below 30%.
And on the subject of charging, the BYD never once failed to connect either to my home Evios unit or a public charger - something that can tbe said for all of its rivals.
A colleague recently referred to the BYD as "just transport", but I prefer to think of it as a comfortable pair of slippers in automotive form.
If that sounds like damning with faint praise, I can pay it no higher a compliment than this: my past three cars have been a Cupra Born, a Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric and the Atto 3, all direct rivals, and while I might have preferred the Cupra as a driver's car, and the Mégane made a bigger style statement, as a dependable, flexible family car that just made life easy, the BYD was the pick of the bunch.
Second Opinion
I was impressed by its range and efficiency, but over time the novelty of its lairy interior wore off and its software gripes shone through. Despite its inoffensive road manners, the awkwardly configured infotainment screen and fiddly climate controls are real bugbears.
Sam Phillips
Love it:
Rear of the year As well as being roomy, it is considerate of rear passengers, with sockets, vents and adaptive lights.
Uptown funk It can be accused of being naff but the funky interior feels nicely made, works well and adds a bit of fun.
Smooth operator Unlike many rivals that sit on vast 20in rims, the BYD’s 18s and tall sidewalls aid the supple ride.
Loathe it:
First world problem Why bother putting in two cupholders if they can’t accommodate two cups?
Dish the dirt The daft door design collects road grime on its inside leading edge, which can’t easily be hosed off.
Final mileage: 8656
Life with a BYD Atto: Month 3
Automatic headlights are responsive, but poor on dipped beam - 21 November
The Atto’s headlights are something of a contradiction: excellent on full beam but bordering on inadequate on dipped beam. Perhaps I need to delve into the menus again to try to adjust their height. Fortunately, the automatic functionality is superresponsive, flicking them back to full as soon as oncoming traffic has passed. And the light bar that runs across the nose looks cool.
Mileage: 6672
The Atto 3 is pricy, but comes with some premium kit - 1 November
A few people have said that the BYD seems expensive for a newcomer, at a little under £40,000. But its features match far costlier cars’, not least the exceptional 360deg camera system, something that was once the preserve of seriously high-end cars. The range of views is remarkable and the accuracy is pinpoint, plus it appears on the touchscreen automatically to help you see out of tricky junctions
Mileage: 5231
Life with a BYD Atto: Month 2
Lock and load: our EV makes easy work of both those jobs - 25 October
A lot of my driving life seems to revolve around my cars’ load-carrying ability, to the extent that boot space has become a bit of an obsession: I’ve got two highly strung dogs who don’t like being too close together, I regularly carry huge loads when restocking the local food bank, I’m the school run taxi most days for four kids and, in the case of an EV, I’m often having to get the charging cable out.
With all that in mind, I was a little concerned about how the Atto 3 was going to work out in daily life, given its published capacities of 440 litres of boot space, rising to 550 litres when filling to the roof and 1338 litres with the rear seats folded.
In practice, however, I can’t help feeling that those numbers are a little pessimistic. I’m presuming they were measured with the two-level floor in its uppermost position – which leaves a huge space beneath to store the two very bulky charging cable bags – and further impacted by the weirdly low-set rear parcel shelf, which is a disappointingly flimsy item in comparison to the impressive quality of the rest of the interior.
In that state, you get a nice high load level but a really compromised boot (although the large cubbyholes on either side are useful to prevent smaller items sliding around once on the move). You also get a surprising amount of bump-thump from the rear suspension, which is amplified by having what is in effect a speaker box on top of it – despite the ride itself being really quite good.
Drop the floor to its lower setting and that noise becomes more muffled, and the boot suddenly feels generously deep and spacious – particularly with that fiddly and cheap-feeling parcel shelf relegated to the house. The dogs don’t mind the drop over the load lip, and the bespoke rubber mat fitted to my car is more than up to protecting the carpet beneath from their claws.
It’s a shame BYD didn’t see fit to add release levers at the back of the boot for the split rear bench. You need to go round to each back door in turn to free the seatbacks by pulling a little strap behind the headrest, having tucked the seatbelts out of the way to allow them to drop down.
And you’ll need to remember those seatbelts when putting it back to passenger spec, too, because they are all too easy to trap in the mechanism. But once you’ve folded them, you can fit a pretty decent amount in there – with a near-flat load bay for larger items if you have the floor raised, or dropped for extra space (in that mode, 30 plastic 25-litre boxes is my record so far).
An electric tailgate is something I never thought necessary before having a car fitted with one, but I now find it really useful – in particular, the ability to close the boot from the driver’s seat when distracted/sleepy children have taken their bags out and forgotten to press the button before wandering off into school.
It’s a shame the Atto 3 doesn’t have the ‘magic foot wave’ option for hands-free operation (or if it does, it doesn’t work). But the lock button on the boot itself is really useful, securing all of the doors once the tailgate is down and automatically closing the windows and panoramic sunroof for peace of mind.
Love it
On a charge
The wireless phone charger is perfectly sited ahead of the gearlever and seems to be very efficient (unlike some).
Loathe it
A clash of cups
Why bother fitting the car with two cupholders if they can’t accommodate two cups? The BYD’s are far too close together.
Mileage: 4854
BYD's are still few and far between in the UK -11 October
You could almost hear the confusion. I was calling the ‘meet and greet’ parking service from the arrivals hall at Gatwick and she was confirming the car’s details: “Metallic red… BYwhat? Is that its name or part of the registration?” I keep telling people that Build Your Dreams will soon be as ubiquitous as Kia and Toyota, but that day feels some time away. I’ve still yet to see another Atto 3.
Mileage: 4123
Life with a BYD Atto 3: Month 1
Wireless Android, but not Apple CarPlay... - 27 September
This is one to file under ‘first-world problems’, but it is mildly irritating that Apple CarPlay only works with your iPhone tethered to the car – and only via a traditional USB-A cable, even though there is a USB-C port, too. I wouldn’t mind except that the sockets are hard to reach (see above), and for some reason Android Auto works fine via Bluetooth.
Mileage: 3585
Charger issues cause considerable panic and electrical glitches strike - 20 September
If you drive an electric car and plan on visiting Horsham, West Sussex, make sure you charge it before leaving. I thought I’d done so, but I must have forgotten to turn on my EVIOS charger and only noticed when I looked at our predicted range halfway there... and realised that we were only just going to make it.
With my daughter already late, I had to nurse it to gym practice, then go off in search of charge to get home. After checking my various apps, I dismissed the low-power options and plumped for a nearby Shell Recharge. Ideal – except when I got there, it was out of service.
Next I tried a BP Pulse device, but the app wouldn’t let me reset my password, so I couldn’t log in. Increasingly panicked, I gambled on a longer run to Pease Pottage services, where I was saved by a pricey (69p per kWh) but fast Gridserve station, arriving with just 7% battery.
It made me yearn for times when cars were less complicated – although I won’t go as far as my mate Martin, who has built himself an Austin Seven Special that provides the perfect juxtaposition to the BYD’s sophistication.
With headlights being about the extent of his Austin’s electrical system, he won’t be suffering the frustrations I have of late. The Atto 3’s built-in nav still doesn’t work, which isn’t a great loss because I can use Apple CarPlay, but of more concern are a few recent glitches.
First, on two occasions, the cruise control has cut out on the motorway, accompanied by a tyre-pressure warning light. Before I found somewhere safe to pull over, it had gone out again and all was well – but a worry, nonetheless.
The second was a bizarre incident when I was on a phone call and it cut out. I couldn’t reconnect, then subsequently realised that the
radio wouldn’t work and even the indicator sound had gone. The car was completely silent. I resolved to contact my nearest dealer, but the following morning it had found its voice and has been fine ever since.
Despite these niggles, the BYD is a very pleasant car to live with. More loungewear than race suit, for sure, but there are plenty of times when I know which I would rather be wearing.
Love it
Standing out
Surely there are few cars this bland that attract so much attention. You just don’t see BYDs on the road. But that won’t last...
Loathe it
Please shut up!
The collision warning sensor appears to think I’m going to crash into every parked or oncoming car and therefore chimes incessantly
Mileage: 3024
Welcoming the Xxx to the fleet - 6 September 2023
We have seen this sort of thing before, so we all know how this is going to go already, don’t we?
A debutant from the East enters the UK market with plenty of fanfare, derivative styling and huge value for money, but ultimately it falls short against the established marques. Plucky effort. Must try harder.
See you back here in a couple of generations’ time and you might be considered a contender...
This time, though, the circumstances are a bit different. Hyundai, Kia, Ssangyong and, more recently, the reborn MG were very much on an upward learning curve when they braved British shores for the first time, meaning I had to endure cars that were – quite literally in some cases – pony before getting to the good stuff. But this manufacturer that many won’t have heard of is remarkably well established already.
BYD has been around since 1995. Last year, it produced more plug-in cars than any other brand worldwide, and it has just built its five-millionth ‘new energy’ vehicle. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the badge on the back of the next electric bus you see pounding the streets: chances are it’s powered by BYD battery technology.
The Atto 3 family crossover is leading the Shenzhen-based battery giant’s assault on the British buyer’s pocket, with the compact Dolphin hatchback and Seal saloon (driven, p28) coming next, and it has some serious opposition in its sights, led by the smash-hit Kia Niro EV.
The fact that BYD stands for Build Your Dreams is a bit, well, unfortunate, but I will gloss over that. Likewise, the fact that the styling does indeed magpie others’ ideas: it’s no straight copy of any one rival, but I can see hints of the previous-generation Honda HR-V in there, along with Hyundai Kona and Cupra Born cues – the latter in the C-pillar treatment in particular.
More than one visitor to my house has asked if that’s a new Kia in my driveway, but the important thing is that the overall result is inoffensive and even bordering on the really quite handsome.
As for the other Eastern- newcomer touchpoint? The hefty kit list gets a big tick too. My top-spec Design example wants for nothing for a shade less than £40,000, offering the kind of generosity that would shame many a luxury car at twice its price. I’m talking electric panoramic roof, bird’s-eye cameras all round – the works.
There are also a few quirks that have thrilled my children, such as door pockets whose sides are made not of plastic but a trio of tuned guitar strings (they really to play three distinct notes). There's a huge rotating 15.6in touchscreen, too.
The trim is pretty quirky. Sit behind the wheel and just count the finishes: 'vegan leather' in not one but three different colours and a dash that blends a brushed metal effect with rolling curves in blue, black and white, with a small binnacle ahead of the driver and that vast central screen dominating proceedings.
As someone who is something of a stranger to the gym, I had to be informed that this environment was the inspiration for the interior styling. But even I got the hint with BYD's colour names, which are a rather lame attempt to cement these active associations, with Surfing Blue, Skiing White, Climbing Grey and my car's Parkour Red. It doesn't make me want to start leaping from railing to railing (not with my knees), but it at least is a very attractive shade.
Try not to be blindsided by the gimmickry, though, because the Atto 3 is a properly practical car. The cabin is far more generous for space than those of many of its rivals, and it feels remarkably well-screwed together. There's a decent split-level boot back there too, albeit with a horribly flimsy cover that reminds me of an early '80s Vauxhall.
The sense of quality and solidity is further enhanced on the road. The BYD is a really sweet-riding machine, helped by its big doughnut tyres. The powertrain offers effortless rather than astounding pace, and while the chassis won't win any prizes for entertainment, it is as competent as the rest of the package.
I have had one slight problem, albeit when the car was being used the tracking photography (snapper in the boot, harnessed up, shooting out the back as the subject car follows). That meant having the electric tailgate open for a sustained period while I drove around at relatively low speeds, but it was enough to really confuse the poor Atto 3, and afterwards, the boot refused to open fully or shut properly - which was doubly annoying because it disabled other systems, such as the cruise control, at the same time.
Fortunately for me, because my nearest BYD dealer is a fair hike away, that evening the car informed me it was having a software update, which cured the fault in the process. it has, however, at the same time disabled the sat-nav, so for now I'm sticking to Apple CarPlay for route-finding duties.
Some cars fall short in the harsh glare of the road test spotlight, and indeed the Atto 3 didn't make the top five when compared to rivals in our 31 May issue, but having previously run two that pipped it in the rankings (the Born and the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric), I can't help thinking that this car is more of a slow-burner. Even just a few short weeks in, I'm really warming to it.
Second Opinion
My main complaint when I drove the Atto 3 was its centre screen, which is huge but doesn’t have the most logical interface. So it’s worrying that Al is already seeing glitches. Software updates are inbound, but will these improve things, or will the tech taint the overall experience?
Illya Verpraet
BYD Atto 3 Design specification
Prices: List price new £39,695 List price now £39,695 Price as tested £39,695 Options: None
Fuel consumption and range: Official range 260 miles Battery 62.0/60.4kWh litres Test average 3.0mpkWh Test best 3.8mpkWh Test worst 2.5mpkWh Real-world range 181 miles Max charge rate 11/88kW (AC/DC)
Tech highlights: 0-62mph 7.3sec Top speed 99mph Engine Permanent magnet synchronous motor Max power 201bhp Max torque 228 lb ft Transmission 1-spd reduction gear, FWD Boot capacity 440 litres Wheels 7.5J x 18in Tyres 235/80 R18 Kerb weight 1750kg
Service and running costs: Contract hire rate £311.51 CO2 0g/km Service costs None Other costs None Fuel costs £559.35 Running costs inc fuel £559.35 Cost per mile 9 pence Faults Electric tailgate malfunction, infotainment crash
2024 BMW X5 Long-Term Test Review | Giga Gears
Conspicuous consumption with a conscience: is it really possible? It’s time to find out
Why we’re running it: To find out if this revised plug-in hybrid luxury SUV can offer the best of both
Month 1 - Specs
Life with a BMW X5: Month 1
Welcoming the BMW X5 to the fleet - 7 Feb 2024
While plenty of people have already embraced the electric vehicle revolution, for others it remains a technology that's hard to trust, let alone fall in love with.
And that seems to be particularly true at the higher end of the market, where internal combustion remains - for now - the preferred choice for travelling long distances in great opulence.
The easiest way to convert those buyers of traditionally powered, big, luxurious SUVs to the electric future - which is already here, of course, in the shape of the BMW iX and its rivals - is a 'gateway' model, like this BMW X5 Drive50e plug-in hybrid.
On shorter trips, it offers all of the benefits of an EV in terms of its instant torque and efficiency, but it also has the reassurance of a traditional (and BMW signature) 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine mustering 309bhp (up 26bhp on the pre-facelift Drive45e) for longer journeys.
The electric motor is mounted to the gearbox and makes 194bhp (up a whopping 83bhp on the Drive45ē) to give a combined 483bhp and a massive 516lb ft of torque.
That significant boost means that in EV driving mode the Drive50e feels, not unsurprisingly, a lot like the iX, albeit without that car's outrageous turn of pace when you really floor it.
The battery capacity has been increased over the Drive45e, too, by 3.4kWh to 25.7kWh, giving it up to 68 miles of electric-only range on the official lab test.
In reality, and in the current cold snap, I'm being offered estimates of between 43 and 52 miles from a full charge, but at least those appear to be pretty honest guesses.
With my commute being around 15 miles each way and in heavy traffic, this means that as long as I remember to plug the car into my home charger each night, I can expect to cover most weekday chores without troubling the petrol engine.
I'm certainly noticing it in my electricity bill, though. For some reason, it feels almost like free energy in a PHEV, whereas I tend to be far more conscious of how much I'm putting into an EV, because it takes so much longer to charge.
Standard kit on M Sport trim is pretty generous, as you would hope for not far shy of £80,000, but still it's hard to resist the temptation to dip a toe into the extensive options list, and in the end I dived straight in.
Metallic paint was a must, and I opted for discreet Tanzanite Blue II. Soft merino leather in Ivory white makes a very attractive (if slightly impractical) contrast, lifted still further by the addition of a panoramic glass roof.
The recent cold weather tempted me to choose the all-round heated seats and steering wheel that come as part of the Comfort Plus Pack, while the M Sport Pro Pack should make the most of the X5's already excellent driving experience as well as adding to its looks and the Technology Plus Pack adds a phenomenal Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo to the infotainment and a head-up display, among other treats.
And that's an appropriate choice of word, because there's no getting away from the fact that this BMW truly is a treat, for both the driver and passengers. It lacks the overt levels of ostentation of, say, a Range Rover or a range-topping Mercedes-Benz, but if discreet luxury and an overwhelming sense of wellbeing is your preference, it's hard to beat.
Short journeys still garner cooing from the family, while longer ones tend to result in silence, as its comfort, slick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox and authoritative yet supple ride gently rock them to sleep so I can sit back and enjoy the drive.
From without, the 2023 facelift of the X5 is fairly hard to spot, consisting mainly of a new grille and a reprofiled front bumper, but like every generation of this model, it's a very handsome thing-certainly far more so than the X7.
It looks particularly good in M Sport trim, with matt black detailing replacing chrome and a seriously stylish set of 21in alloys with blue-painted, M-branded calipers behind (courtesy of that pricey upgrade). Those are also a big help in slowing down 2.5 tonnes of car that can crack 62mph from rest in a remarkable 4.5sec.
Among the other changes in the most recent overhaul is a lightly upgraded interior, along with a new, iX-style digital display that stretches much of the way across the dashboard (but does appear a bit plonked on).
I'm still learning my way around it and sometimes yearn for a traditional instrument binnacle with a rev counter, rather than a bar telling me my power percentage use, but I can't argue with its clarity or its size: a generous 12.3in for the digital instruments, alongside a 14.9in touchscreen for the various infotainment functions (and some rather cheesy 'X5' graphics).
Some of the materials on the lower dashboard could feel more solid and room in the back could perhaps be a little more generous for such a massive car, while siting the battery for the PHEV system beneath the boot floor means that, unlike other models in the X5 range, the Drive50e can't offer the option of seven seats (and reduces the luggage capacity from 1870 to 1720 litres).
However, early impressions suggest that's pretty much where my complaints start and end. From where I'm sitting, I'm struggling to think of anywhere I'd rather be.
Second Opinion
Within five minutes, I was screaming at it. I really don’t get along with the automatic this and adaptive that in modern BMWs. The right settings reveal a car that’s dead impressive, however: beautifully made, comfortable, a capable EV in electric mode, but with a straight six. It even handles quite well for a big lump
Illya Verpraet
BMW X5 xDrive50e M Sport specification
Specs: Price New £78,360 Price as tested £98,905 Options Comfort Plus Pack £4300, Technology Plus Pack £4000, Sky Lounge panoramic roof £2650, M Sport Pro Pack £2100, Ivory and Black extended merino leather £1950, Tanzanite Blue II metallic paint £1890, towbar £1150, Travel and Comfort System £600, acoustic glass £550, sun protection glass £450
Test Data: Engine 3.0-litre straight-six turbocharged petrol engine plus front-mounted electric motor and 25.7kWh battery Power 483bhp Torque 516lb ft Kerb weight 2,495kg Top speed 155mph 0-62mph 4.8sec Fuel economy 261.35mpg (claimed) CO2 20-22g/km Faults None Expenses None
Citroen e C4X 2024 Review: Long-Term Test with Giga Gears
Here’s an EV that treads its own path – and we’re going to see where it leads us
Why we’re running it: To see if this electric fastback saloon can outmuscle the growing SUV market
Month 1 - Specs
Life with an E-C4 X: Month 1
Welcoming the E-C4 X to the fleet - 7 February 2024
The Citroën -C4 X is a hard car to classify, even when you've spent a bit of time with one, as I have since ours arrived on the long-term test fleet.
The EV sits intriguingly within the increasingly blurred lines that separate different car categories, riding slightly higher than a traditional saloon but not quite by enough that you could call it an SUV. Coupé-SUV hatchback?
Raised fastback saloon? One of those descriptions is probably correct. Citroën itself calls the car a "fastback with the modern look of an SUV", so that's cleared that up...
One absolutely clear thing is that Citroën has stayed true to its comfort-biased roots because the e-C4 X has already made a case for it being among the Stellantis group's most relaxing cars to drive.
This electric fastback prioritises comfort above all else - a point emphasised by its gloriously plush seats and bump-absorbing ride.
To that end, it's equipped with the French brand's Advanced Comfort suspension, which features dual hydraulic stops at the front and rear. In some ways, it feels like a Rolls-Royce Spectre for the everyman.
Okay, so obviously it's not going to be taking on the £330,000 ultra-luxurious Spirit of Ecstasy in any forthcoming comparison tests, but it is jolly nice inside and it comes with a 10.0in touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a crisp head-up display, as well as a 5.5mm digital screen behind the steering wheel.
It feels very quiet on the move too. There are no rattles inside, road noise is kept to a minimum and I've struggled to detect the sound of wind rushing past, even on faster roads.
The C4 X uses the same e-CMP platform as several other Stellantis models, including the DS 3, the Peugeot 2008 and the smaller Vauxhall Corsa, and it also shares much of its internals with the electric versions of those cars.
You could even, in effect, think of this car as an electric version of the Peugeot 408, which was run by chief sub-editor Kris Culmer towards the end of last year.
Anyone eyeing up an -C4 X is probably looking for an EV with practicality in mind, and it doesn't disappoint on that front. There's 510 litres of boot space with the rear seats raised and that increases to 1360 litres when they're folded. That compares favourably with the 425 litres offered by the Tesla Model 3 and the 405 litres of the Polestar 2.
There's room for three adults to fit comfortably in the back too. Where the e-C4 X is widely outclassed, though, is on range. Its 50kWh battery (46.2kWh usable capacity) is claimed to offer just 221 miles on a single charge, although Citroen says this can rise as high as 303 miles in the city. That's a figure I'll certainly be putting to the test, because my driving will be split mostly between London use and longer stints on the motorway.
Power looks relatively modest on paper as well. A single, front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor supplies 134bhp and 192lb ft of torque. However, so far I've found it to be more than adequate in most situations. It helps that the 1623kg kerb weight is fairly light for an EV.
Besides, the e-C4 X is a car to be driven in a manner befitting its aura of calm, rather than ragged around corners. It's certainly no driver's car and nor is it intended to be one, as its leisurely 0-62mph time of 10.0sec attests. In that respect, it will be a marked contrast to the 308bhp BMW iX1 that I ran most recently.
The e-C4 X is priced from £32,195 but in Shine Plus form starts at £35,495, rising to £37,140 with the options fitted to ours. Beneath this range-topping model are the more affordable Sense and Shine trims.
Owners get a lot of equipment for their money. In addition to LED headlights, a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers and a heated steering wheel (which are all standard), our car features optional metallic paint, wireless smartphone charging and a tablet cradle to keep your passenger entertained on the move.
The optional Hype Black interior ambience pack fitted to our car is also worth mentioning because it's all very Citroën. It adds grey stitching, heated front seats, a plusher leather steering wheel, four-way adjustable electric seats and electric lumbar support and massage functions.
By spanning the saloon and SUV classes, the e-C4 X finds itself up against a huge range of competition from both segments. Our job over the coming months is to see if it's up to that task. First impressions suggest it could be a good option for those seeking an affordable electric company car, so that will be on our radar too.
And that's not all. While this electric version of the C4 X has been on sale since 2022, Citroen has now also decided to bring its internal combustion equivalent to the UK this year in response to customer demand.
So we plan to switch to a petrol car down the line, which should make for an interesting comparison of two comfort-driven sibling models. But we're in no rush to find out which C4 X is best. This simply isn't that kind of car.
Second Opinion
It flies under the radar and it’s so very comfortable – two favourable qualities compared with big, bulbous SUVs. I hope Jack has more luck in coaxing a decent range out of it, though. In my experience, it stopped far short of the manufacturer’s claim, even with ‘wasteful’ systems turned off.
Jonny Bryce
Citroen E-C4 X 50kWh Shine Plus specification
Specs: Price New £35,495 Price as tested £37,140 Options Hype Black interior ambience pack £800, Platinum Grey metallic paint £595, wireless smartphone charger £150, Citroën Smart Pad Support £100
Test Data: Engine 1x front-mounted electric motor Power 134bhp Torque 192lb ft Kerb weight 1623kg Top speed 93mph 0-62mph 10sec Fuel economy 4.4mpkWh (claimed) CO2 0g/km Faults None Expenses None
2024 Jeep Avenger Long-Term Test by Giga Gears
Can Jeep’s Euro-centric small SUV contender live up to the early hype? Let’s find out...
Why we’re running it: To see if this new Avenger is finally the Jeep to crack Europe
Month 1 - Specs
Life with a Jeep Avenger: Month 1
Welcoming the Avenger to the fleet - xxx xxx 2024
I have worried that what has so far been a fairytale beginning for the new Jeep Avenger will come to an end at some point - and that some fingers will be pointed in my direction for being complicit.
I went to the car's launch back in November 2022 so was the first Autocar staffer to deliver a verdict on it. I raved about the Avenger so much that it got my vote for the 2023 Car of the Year - a title that it would go on to win - and my voice was the loudest among colleagues to name it Best Small Car at the 2023 Autocar Awards, despite no one else on the mag having driven it at the time.
A year on, it wasn't a dream; I hadn't drunk the Kool-Aid. The Avenger really is a good car, and not just good for a Jeep. Colleagues have since driven it and liked its character and the way it drives.
Yet all my acquaintances with and drives in the Avenger so far have been brief, which makes this long-term test even more interesting. It certainly leaves a good first impression, yet what we learn over the next few months will dictate how lasting that impression is going to be now the shock and surprise factors (both positive, I should add) have worn off.
To recap, the Avenger is like no other Jeep before it, and not only because it can be recommended for the way it drives on the road as well as off it. It's the first Jeep to have been designed, engineered and manufactured away from the US; instead, its creation was led by Italy and the building of it takes place in Poland. Such is its Euro focus that it won't even be sold to Americans.
Jeep has had a job on its hands because the small SUV is the hardest type of car with which to create something unique and interesting. Such small SUVs mostly look oddly proportioned, particularly when compared with the supermini on which they are typically based (think Ford Fiesta to Puma, Renault Clio to Captur).
Yet not so this Jeep. Maybe that's because there are no preconceptions about what a small Jeep looks like, but even so, the result of the Avenger is that it manages to look both compact and substantial.
The Jeep design cues work well on such a small car and when you're inside, you'd never guess how small it is, because that sense of robustness remains. At just 4.08 metres long, it's shorter than almost every other car in its class, yet somehow it still manages to look the toughest - like a featherweight boxer at a weigh-in.
The Avenger is electric, which is another Jeep first, but it won't be sold solely as an EV. When we first drove it, the UK was only going to take the electric Avenger, but there's now also a 1.2-litre petrol version with a manual gearbox coming to bring the entry price point down by about £8500, as well as a mild hybrid.
For launch, though, the Avenger remains electric-only, and it's offered in three trim levels: Longitude (£35,700), Altitude (£37,400) and Summit (£39,600 and what we have here, each adding progressively more toys: Each model is front-wheel drive and uses a 154bhp electric motor.
The battery pack is 51kWh and offers an official range of up to 249 miles. The crucial heat pump is standard and the charging speed is up to 100k. Our test car has some options, among them striking yellow paint and leather seats, which, along with the infotainment pack, push the price north of £42,000.
This suddenly feels pretty punchy, and it's a good £10,000 more than the starting price that was talked about back on the original test drive in late 2022. At the time, the mooted price gave extra weight to the praise the car received, but it looks like even the petrol version is going to be £10,000 more than a Renault Clio.Still, prices can be cut, discounts negotiated, deals structured.
What can't be quickly changed is the underlying quality of a car that you're getting in return for your money. Early indications show that the Avenger could at last be a Jeep to give the brand lift-off in Europe, a market in which less than one in 100 SUVs sold wear a Jeep badge. There's much to learn about this Avenger - not only how good a car it can be but also how far it can take the Jeep brand.
Second Opinion
I was eager to drive the Avenger. It looks fantastic, but my worry was that style would win over substance. Yet it was just so… normal: more comfortable, sensible city cruiser than what its rugged, go-anywhere look promised. In my short time with the Jeep it felt easy to live with. Let’s see if it is. W
Will Rimell
Jeep Avenger Electric Summit specification
Specs: Price New £39,600 Price as tested £42,125 Options Sun/Volcano bi-colour paint £1100, black leather with grey stitching £900, Summit infotainment pack £500, puncture repair kit £25
Test Data: Engine Front-mounted permanent synchronous motor Power 154bhp Torque 192lb ft Kerb weight 1,288kg Top speed 93mph 0-62mph 9.0sec Range 248 miles (claimed) Fuel economy 3.9mpkWh (claimed) CO2 0g/km Faults None Expenses None