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Ray Massey, Motoring Editor

Coverage: Cars Electric Cars

MOST RECENT ARTICLES FROM RAY MASSEY

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Do you own a petrol or diesel car and feel intimidated by car makers pushing their all-electric models? Renting one could break down apprehension

08/04/22 08:57

Swedish premium e-car maker Polestar has just struck a global deal with car hire giant Hertz to supply up to 65,000 vehicles over five years, starting with the new Polestar 2. To hire one for a holiday would be a fraction of the £49,900 they cost. Set up in 2017, Polestar cars are manufactured in two plants in China, with plans to build in the U.S. It aims to sell 290,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2025....read

New all-electric Smart #1 hatchback hits the road with a claimed range of 273 miles as it relaunches as an electric-only brand built in China
08/04/22 10:07
The Smart #1 is expected to be priced at between £30,000 and £35,000 as a rival to the Hyundai Kona EV and Volkswagen's all-electric ID.3.
Value of modern classic cars in Britain is £3.7bn with the ever-popular Ford Escort topping the list of most valuable discontinued motors
07/04/22 09:28
Research by Bristol Street Motors now reveals how many modern classic cars are still being driven, rather than left languishing on our driveways.
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Royal Range Rover hits the road: We test the new £100,000 luxury SUV weeks after it received a seal of approval from William and Kate
06/04/22 11:01
Even before its official launch this week - and ahead of the first cars landing with customers -the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gave it their Royal seal of approval.
Ever despair of ploughing through those hefty car user manuals? Audi R8 has the longest, spread over 308 pages and requiring over 43 hours to read
01/04/22 08:52
That's 28,000 words and two hours more reading time than is required for War And Peace.
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Silent Roller: We've travelled to the Arctic Circle for an exclusive passenger ride in Rolls-Royce's first electric car - the £400,000 Spectre
30/03/22 12:00
We've had an exclusive ride in the new green all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre - the first zero-emissions battery-powered limousine from the world's most luxurious car-maker.
BMW goes snap-happy: RAY MASSEY drives the 2-series Active Tourer with its interior camera that lets you take and share onboard 'selfies'
25/03/22 09:55
For safety reasons, the overhead camera can be activated by voice control with the command 'Hey BMW, take a selfie'.
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Beware the car clones causing misery: From mystery parking tickets to buying stolen cars and how RAY MASSEY ended up 'in a high speed chase'
24/03/22 10:00
So-called 'car-cloning' is on the increase leaving innocent motorists with parking tickets and speeding fines for which they're not responsible.
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The C5X is built for comfort rather than scintillating performance and that's how a Citroen should be, says RAY MASSEY
18/03/22 09:53
It's a very elegant vehicle in the manner and style of those classic low-slung French cruisers of the 1960s and 1970s, famous for their 'magic carpet ride'.
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Northern powerhouse: Nissan has just announced ambitious future plans for Sunderland as the brand celebrates 35 years of car production in the city
17/03/22 10:00
As Nissan celebrates 35 years of production in Sunderland, the brand is announcing further plans to spearhead electric car production in Britain.
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Audi's beautiful electric barge: German firm unveils A6 Avant e-tron that's set to challenge Porsche's Taycan as the most stylish EV estate from 2024
16/03/22 11:01
Audi has taken the wraps off a near production-ready version its first ever all-electric estate car, the A6 Avant e-tron.
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Last hurrah for the V12 Vantage: Aston Martin's gutsy gas-guzzler reaches end of the road in spectacular style as the final edition is unveiled
16/03/22 12:00
Aston Martin is producing a limited run globally of 333 new V12 Vantage cars priced from around £270k - and all have already been sold to eager buyers.
- 240 comments
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More than 80 years after its birth, Jeep is going fully electric, with first battery-powered model launched next year
11/03/22 09:51
The news was broken by Carlos Tavares, head of Jeep's parent conglomerate Stellantis as he also published the first photos of the model.
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How clean is your car? Vehicles can end up mobile dustbins full of unhealthy bacteria... but there easy ways to brush up your act
10/03/22 10:00
It's easy to shut the car door and forget about that six months worth of clutter. Whether that's clothes, excess dog leads or our children's belongings.
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It might be red but Ferrari's 296 GTB is a greener supercar: We take the new 205mph hybrid on road and track months ahead of its UK arrival
06/03/22 11:01
Ferrari tells us the 296 GTB is an 'everyday supercar' that's both fun when you are pushing the car to its limits and also when tootling around town. But is it?
Vauxhall to become purely electric brand within six years by switching to battery power by 2028
04/03/22 09:56
The move covers both cars and vans. The firm said: 'A further battery-electric model will follow by mid-decade in a new interpretation of the Manta.'
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Buying a new car as March's new 22-plate arrives? How to pick the right car for you and avoid the pitfalls
03/03/22 09:50
There are plenty of cars to choose from for the new '22 plate including the fifth generation Kia Sportage (pictured), from £26,745, now being delivered.
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An influencer's dream car: Polestar unveils its electric O2 roadster that comes with a DRONE to film every journey from the sky for you to post to Instagram
02/03/22 12:17
The car is equipped with an on-board autonomous drone that can be launched from the back of the car when travelling at speeds of up to 56mph, fly above filming the vehicle in action.
VW creates a new Buzz! Volkswagen's camper van has long been a favourite with everyone from surfers to families - now here comes the electric one
24/02/22 10:00
VW's classic T2 bus has been reincarnated in 21st-century guise as a 'green' fully electric zero-emissions model called the ID Buzz.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's off-roader DRIVEN: We test the new Ineos Grenadier close to the brand's French factory to see if the British billionaire's 4X4 is better than a Land Rover Defender
23/02/22 12:33
We are one of the first online publications to take the rugged new 4X4 for a test drive across a rural off-road course to find out how it performs ahead of first deliveries this summer.
RAY MASSEY: Bucking the trend has proved profitable for specialist car dealer to the stars Clive Sutton, and he's at it again with his Ford Bronco
18/02/22 09:56
Sutton secured the first batch to arrive from the U.S. where the model is sold out until 2023.
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Jaguar Land Rover partners with US gaming and chip giant Nvidia to develop self-driving technology for its cars from 2025
16/02/22 02:00
Under the new partnership, experts from both companies will jointly develop intelligent autonomous driving.
Inside Sir Jim Ratcliffe's car factory in France: We visit the plant where the £48,000 Ineos Grenadier 4X4 is being built to rival Land Rover's Defender
16/02/22 12:01
The new Grenadier vehicles are being built at a newly-acquired factory on the Franco-German border, which he bought from Daimler in January 2021.
Dacia Duster cuts a dash: We drive the fully-loaded, no-frills SUV that looks the business and brings simplicity back to motoring
11/02/22 10:01
This updated version has undergone a few tweaks such as a sharpened exterior with a new 3D-chrome grille and Y-shaped LED headlights.
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Can Alfa Romeo finally crack a comeback? Italian legend reveals Tonale small SUV and plans a new model every year until 2026
10/02/22 09:53
The new electrified hybrid Tonale SUV crossover, which was launched this week, is being touted as an initial step in a 'new journey' for Alfa Romeo.
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Rolls-Royce's new Spirit of Ecstasy for its electric-only cars: British marque unveils its reimagined bonnet figurine to grace 2023 Spectre EV
06/02/22 09:00
British luxury car firm Rolls-Royce has redesigned its iconic 'Spirit of Ecstasy' figurine to fly at the prow of its first ever battery-powered model, the 2023 Spectre limousine (bottom left).
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Top of the class: RAY MASSEY tries the all-new Kia Sportage in the week the family SUV bagged the number one spot in the sales charts
04/02/22 09:54
And what perfect timing as, for the first time, the Kia Sportage was named the biggest selling UK car in January and Kia the biggest selling car firm.
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Beat the big freeze: January may be behind us - but there's still plenty of cold weather to come. Here's how to stay safe on the road
03/02/22 10:00
As motoring marathons go, winter can be a demoralising slog. And February is when the winter blues can really start to kick in.
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Strictly the fastest luxury SUV ever: Aston Martin launches its DBX707 that can hit 193mph with a start price of £189,000 - enlisting Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly to unveil it
01/02/22 01:00
Aston Martin bosses say it will outpace and outperform other rival luxury SUV supercars from the likes of Bentley and Lamborghini.
Genesis will rock you! New G70 Shooting Brake from Hyundai's premium spin-off brand hits all the right notes, says RAY MASSEY
28/01/22 10:00
Genesis is the new premium brand from the Korean group, ready to take on Europe's top carmakers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
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Britain's new £1.7m supercar: Legendary F1 designer Gordon Murray unveils the T.33 which will be built in Surrey and deliver 'absolute driving perfection'
28/01/22 02:49
Restricted to just 100 'bespoke' examples for customers, it is to be built at Gordon Murray Automotive's £50m state of the art headquarters at Windlesham.
How safe are your tyres? As Pirelli celebrates its 150th anniversary, we look back at its racy history - and how to keep your car's boots in good working order
27/01/22 09:50
There are, perhaps, few things less glamorous in the world of motoring than the tyre. But Pirelli will be reminding us that they make the world go round.
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Bentley's £2.5bn investment in Britain: Luxury legend reveals plans to convert Crewe plant into an electric car 'dream factory' and from 2025 will launch one new EV every year for five years
26/01/22 07:30
The 103-year-old brand will make a 10 year investment in its Crewe plant as a vote of confidence in Britain and 'a major boost for the UK economy'.
Absolutely fabulous Fabia: Skoda's fourth-generation hatchback demonstrates staying power, says RAY MASSEY
21/01/22 09:57
I've been driving one ahead of first deliveries to remind myself how far the Czech marque has come in the two decades since its launch.
Bentley's off to a 'flyer': Luxury car maker is banking on an eco-friendly future - by launching a host of new models and is seeing hybrid sales soar
20/01/22 09:50
Bentley's Flying Spur Hybrid is a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid that marks an important early step in the car-maker's drive towards electrification.
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Popular Citroen C5 Aircross moves firmly upmarket with more mature makeover, but still retains its distinctive French looks, says RAY MASSEY
14/01/22 10:03
The sports utility has been given a facelift plus upgraded tech, but without messing with the essentials that make it a family-friendly proposition.
Is this the most high-tech car on the road? Mercedes' EQS is the electric S-Class and may be the shape of things to come - but it costs £100k-plus
13/01/22 10:40
The futuristic new Mercedes-Benz EQS luxury limousine is arguably the smartest and most efficient new car ever to hit the road.
Rolls-Royce reveals it sold more cars in 2021 than ANY other in it's 117-year history because the pandemic made the super-rich realise 'life can be short'
11/01/22 02:36
Chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos said: 'Many people witnessed people dying from Covid and that made them think life can be short and you'd better live now rather than postpone until a later date.'
Rolls-Royce says pandemic helped fuel record sales in 2021 with super-rich customers taking a 'life can be short' approach when buying luxury cars
10/01/22 09:38
The super-rich shrugged off the effects of the global pandemic by buying 5,586 Rolls-Royces last year, with Ghost and Cullinan driving sales record in the brand's 117-year history.
Electric cars accounted for an astonishing quarter of total car sales last month, bucking the trend of low new car sales for the whole of 2021
07/01/22 10:00
But a shortage of on-street chargers risks putting a brake on Government ambitions in the run up to the sales ban of petrol and diesel cars.
The Corsa courses on! It's now got the most popular car in the country yet has rarely been cool... but Vauxhall has a rich pedigree
06/01/22 09:51
The Corsa's top spot is a landmark moment for Vauxhall, which is actually the UK's oldest surviving car manufacturer, stretching back to 1903.
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Luxury car maker Bentley achieves record sales in 2021 despite industry-wide chip supply issues as it charges ahead with electrification plans
06/01/22 04:09
It highlighted unprecedented demand for its petrol-electric hybrid models - spearheaded by the Bentayga SUV, and the new Flying Spur limousine.
The Compass to show you around on and off-road: RAY MASSEY drives the new Jeep as the brand celebrates 80th anniversary
31/12/21 09:50
With sharpened styling and that traditional Jeep grille, it stands out from the army of SUVs, and generates its own power by regenerative braking.
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Buckle up for a bumpy 2022! Land Rover and Citroen lead a terrific pack of new cars set to launch next year... but you may face a long wait to get one
31/12/21 08:47
From Citroen's elegant C5X crossover (pictured) to the outrageous 748bhp BMW hybrid XM SUV, 2022 promises a bumper crop of exciting new cars.
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Come fly with me! Flying cars have fascinated us since the dawn of powered flight - so how far away are we from this dream taking off?
23/12/21 10:03
Barely a year goes by without a bold new flying car venture being announced. But are they a feasible reality? Or simply a flight of fancy?
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RAY MASSEY: Nissan's new electric Ariya family crossover finally set to charge into UK showrooms in the New Year
17/12/21 09:51
Perfect timing, as the Ariya has just been named Most Anticipated Electric Car of 2022 by voting consumers in the annual DrivingElectric Awards.
Drive back in time: New cars are in short supply and second hand prices have soared... so could the answer be to snap up a classic?
16/12/21 10:28
Motorists who want to stand out from the crowd are increasingly turning to classic cars. And not just as investments - but for fun.
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New electric e-Rifter is a real shifter: RAY MASSEY gets behind the wheel of Peugeot's latest offering
10/12/21 09:51
It comes as a five or seven-seater with handy rear sliding doors both sides that can make exiting from a tight spot very easy.
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It's all gone to pot: Broken suspension, distorted wheels, UK roads are hard on cars... but manufacturers are fighting back with pothole-detecting tech
09/12/21 09:50
Potholes are causing damage to countless cars and putting lives at risk as councils and the Government prioritise other areas ahead of vital road repairs.
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RAY MASSEY: Vauxhall's new Astra Sports Tourer boldly promises its most comfortable ride ever
03/12/21 09:50
The ergonomically designed front seats are certified by Germany's Campaign For Healthier Backs to provide optimum comfort and support.
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How safe is YOUR car? Vehicle crash testing is make or break for motoring brands... Here's what goes into this rigorous yearly process
02/12/21 09:54
Among the star cars safety-tested in 2021 is the Skoda Enyaq iV SUV (pictured) which scored 94 per cent for occupant protection.
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Kia's EV6 driven: A stylish and keenly-priced electric car that's a challenger to Tesla and Mercedes
26/11/21 09:58
Already picking up awards, it has more than 1,500 UK pre-orders to launch this feisty five-seater. I've just been driving one on British roads.
Driven to distraction! Touch screens are all the rage but hi-tech cars can make it harder to concentrate at the wheel
25/11/21 09:50
There are safety concerns over the trend towards in-car touch screens and digital dashboards which are popular on electric vehicles .
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Audi's new RS3 Sportback is a veritable mini 'muscle car' that exudes performance, poke and pulling power, says RAY MASSEY
19/11/21 09:51
My car came in a bold new colour called Kyalami Green, which I quickly dubbed Kermit Green after The Muppet Show's star frog.
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Back in the swing: MG was a Sixities favourite with its fun and affordable cars, but it went bust... now it's been reborn and is thriving again
18/11/21 09:50
MG was a company that produced fun, affordable sports cars that ordinary people on a tight budget could - and still do -aspire to.
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McLaren slams brakes on Audi takeover speculation as it plots out electric future
15/11/21 10:09
McLaren Group - based in Woking, Surrey (pictured) -denied reports emanating from Germany that it had been sold to German car maker Audi.
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Honda's bold statement with new family oriented hybrid compact HR-V: About time as it has let rivals grab style limelight for too long, says RAY MASSEY
12/11/21 09:50
Drive judiciously and store up juice and you'll be cruising mainly in electric power, which is prioritised over the petrol engine.
Women in the driving seat: Three British females now hold leading positions at French car maker Peugeot
11/11/21 09:50
Since January, Linda Jackson (left) has been at the helm of Peugeot as its global boss. She is assisted by managing director Julie David (right).
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Peugeot's new pride: The plug-in hybrid 308 hatchback will make you green with envy, says RAY MASSEY
05/11/21 09:50
The plug-in hybrid 308 can travel for up to 37 miles in zero-emissions electric-only mode, with average CO2 emissions overall of just 26g/km.
The road to freedom: The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run began as a celebration of changes to road rules - but there are still battles to be fought
04/11/21 09:50
The annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which takes place this Sunday, celebrates the first revolutionary act of the motorist.
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Five new Mini electric cars to be built in Britain: Two family SUVs and next-generation hatchback to be produced in Oxford in big confidence vote for UK
02/11/21 11:01
A large zero-emissions SUV will join the brand's line-up, based on the Urbanaut concept showcased last year. Mini also confirmed plans to extend production to Germany and China.
Ford's Focus favourite has facelift that includes sharper body styling, new engine options and improved infotainment system
29/10/21 08:50
The new range starts at £22,465 for the Trend trim to £33,885 for the top-of-the-range ST hot hatch as it aims to keep pace with rivals.
- 119 comments
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Back in black! We try Rolls-Royce's new £325,000 heavy-metal Black Badge Ghost limousine
28/10/21 12:38
This is the new Black Badge Ghost - Rolls-Royce's answer to a dressed-down limo for mavericks in the mould of Tesla's Elon Musk and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
From gas guzzler to eco warrior: New £95,000 Range Rover is unveiled - including all-electric version from 2024
26/10/21 07:45
A fully electric version of the new Range Rover will go on sale to customers within three years, bosses announced as they took the wraps off the all-new fifth generation flagship luxury 4X4 this evening.
Ford's electric battle with Tesla hotting up: We drive the Mustang Mach-E GT - a rival to new Model Y for best upmarket battery-powered car
22/10/21 08:52
We got behind the wheel of Ford's scintillating new green-and-mean flagship all-wheel-drive Mustang Mach-E GT, pinnacle of its all-electric Mach-E range.
High noon for low emissions: Clean air zones are on their way across the UK - so will your car become a financial burden?
21/10/21 08:50
Motorists are about to get a big shock - and possibly an even bigger fine. That's because a new 'green tax' is expanding across the UK.
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Another reason Y Tesla is a hit: As the Model Y finally goes on sale in the UK, we test the electric compact SUV months before it arrives
19/10/21 01:29
The elegantly minimalist yet eminently practical SUV family crossover has a burst of acceleration that makes it one of the hottest - or should that be coolest - school-run, shopping or leisure vehicles.
500 jobs secured as Ford invests £230m for Halewood factory to build electric power for its cars across Europe in huge vote of confidence for Brexit Britain
18/10/21 08:41
The project has been backed by a UK Government grant of taxpayers' cash which, although not disclosed, is understood to be between £25million and £30million.
Squid Game is TV's big new show and from Genesis, to Kia's EV6 and Hyundai's futuristic electric Ioniq 5, Korean cars are now hot property too
14/10/21 09:00
Have you noticed how South Korea - and its cars - have suddenly become very hip? We look at how it has transformed its cars' image and some of the best new models.
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BMW's new i4 might be the Cinderella model in its blossoming electric car range: RAY MASSEY puts the potential plug-in rep mobile to the test
12/10/21 10:01
The launch of BMW's new fastback all-electric i4 coupe has been overshadowed somewhat by that of the big new flagship iX SUV, which has garnered much of the recent attention.
Style, space and pace: RAY MASSEY is caught wrongfooted by Renault's first hybrid - the coupe-styled Arkana SUV
08/10/21 08:50
The Arkana is Renault's first purpose-built hybrid and the French giant's first SUV with coupe styling. So it really is a crossover whose shape shifts depending on the angle from which you view it.
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A scramble for nostalgia: This former RAF base in Bicester is fast becoming the UK's premier destination for car enthusiasts of all vintages
07/10/21 09:00
This Sunday more than 5,000 people will descend on a former RAF base in Oxfordshire to celebrate a motor car 'scramble' event at what is arguably the fastest growing automotive site in the UK.
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Rolls goes on a roll: Electric power has long been a part of the famous brand's history... now it's gearing up to produce a fleet of cars for a greener future
30/09/21 09:00
Wind the clock back 110 years and automotive history was made when a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost drove from London to Edinburgh and helped cement the motor car's future.
Rolls-Royce's electric car will arrive in 2023: Spectre will be the luxury legend's first battery-powered vehicle and its entire range will switch in 2030
29/09/21 12:00
Official pictures of Spectre show it in camouflaged form only, with the details of the vehicle hidden by quotes from founders, the Honourable Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce.
Order books open for Sir Jim Ratcliffe's back-to-basics Land Rover-rivalling Ineos Grenadier 4X4 with prices starting from £48,000
28/09/21 11:01
Online reservations open for the Grenadier as part of an 'early hand-raiser' for customers to 'express a strong interest' in being among the first to buy when it arrives next July.
Does BMW's new electric car have the iX factor? RAY MASSEY tests the German brand's £70,000 SUV ahead of its arrival in the UK this year
28/09/21 10:01
We've taken to the wheel of BMW's new premium battery SUV before it hits UK showrooms from November. It's certainly eye-catching on the outside, but does it grab you as a driver?
Shrunken not stirred: The $148,000 baby Aston Martin - with 'machine guns' and smoke screen - ready for the new 007 film No Time To Die
26/09/21 10:31
For budding young James Bonds of all ages who want to emulate their hero in a 'baby' Aston Martin, engineers have created a scaled down fully working electric-powered replica of 007's most iconic car.
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Bentley celebrating 70 years of its design department - as it prepares to relocate to a new site to create luxury electric limousines
24/09/21 08:50
The first Crewe-designed Bentley was the R-Type Continental in 1951. The company's design department has already grown tenfold to 50 in less than three decades.
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Ramps, portable showers, spill-resistant water bowls... why sometimes it's the dog in the driving seat when it comes to choosing a new car
23/09/21 08:51
Family estates and SUVs are favourites with dog-loving families, but practical smaller cars like MINIs have their place, too. Car firms are making sure families can care for pets in transit.
- 4 comments
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Green light for a dinky green car: Citroen WILL sell its tiny electric Ami in the UK from £6,000 - with a 46-mile range and 28mph top speed
21/09/21 11:01
Bosses gave the green light to the two-seater Citroen Ami coming here after receiving more than 12,000 expressions of interest from potential British customers.

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