Autocar

Autocar is the car nut’s weekly fix, delivering you a unique mix of the latest news, opinion, features, first drives of new cars and in-depth road tests – all complemented by the best photography in the business. No other magazine covers the subject you love with such enthusiasm, insight and quality every week of the year. Autocar stands for the highest quality in car journalism – and is rewarded with access to the best new cars and the biggest news stories before any of the opposition which we share with you, our readers, every week.

GIGAFACTORIES DON’T JUST BUILD BATTERIES

New CLA Shooting Brake stars in compact Merc shake-up • Four new-era small Mercedes with EV and combustion power are inbound, as the A-Class and B-Class are axed

MERCEDES IS LEADING A TECH REVOLUTION ONCE AGAIN

WHAT THREE VITAL CONCEPTS TELL US ABOUT MERCEDES’ FUTURE CARS

BMW iX rival to crown expanded Alfa line-up • Large SUV will have a 500-mile range, the latest tech – and still major on driver engagement

Alfa considers return to hatchback market

AN ALFA VAN? YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE IT

Imparato eyes profitable growth

Nissan goes all in on EVs in Europe • Firm brings forward combustion cutoff to 2030, after UK government does opposite

Huge potential in Sunderland

New SC-01 sports car is China’s Alpine A110

Doubts over lower speed limits • Leading scientist predicts minimal air quality improvement as Wales drops to 20mph

Industry wins fight against stricter new emission rules

WHY STEERING IS SET TO COME DOWN TO THE WIRE

Lexus previews bold new future • Firm is poised for a design and tech revolution, starting with this radical concept car

Porsche unleashes feral single-seat 911

SECRET SOURCE • OUR INDUSTRY INSIDER

Honda readies electric NSX • Specialty Sports Concept to lead celebratory EV cohort at Tokyo show

GV80 Coupé is genesis of Genesis SUV-coupés

TESTER’S NOTES

MY WEEK IN CARS

RACING LINES • Damien Smith

BMW i5 • The new 5 Series ushers in a landmark car: the company’s first electric exec saloon, driven here in 335bhp and 593bhp guises

LEXUS LM • Sales of the LS luxury limousine have dried up, so here comes a radical reinvention

NIO ET5 TOURING • Chinese firm’s first European-developed EV is a Model 3 rival that comes as an estate

MERCEDES-BENZ GLA • A-Class changes also apply to the crossover, which gets electric boost in PHEV form

MG 4 EV EXTENDED RANGE • Can an extra 13kWh of battery and a bit more power enhance a terrific family hatch?

Make their Christmas with a weekly dose of automotive joy

MILD AND WILD • Maserati’s first mid-sized luxury SUV, the Grecale, combines innovative hybrid tech with high style and sporting allure – a very different approach to that of the Range Rover Velar. For better or worse? Matt Saunders decides

PROPER JOB • Steve Cropley drove 650 miles to and from BMW’s UK HQ to blast an i4 M50 900 metres up a Cornish hill. Was it worth it? Read on (or just glance to the right) to find out

A local gigafactory for local people • The Gravity technology park and Tata’s £4bn gigafactory should be a boon for nearby Bridgwater – but, as John Evans discovers, not everyone is happy

Kia EV6 • Kia’s hot EV6 aims to ruffle feathers, and win fans, in the performance car ether

Data log

VERDICT • Lots of pace and usability for the money, but not enough driver appeal

CITROEN C5 X • Our sort-of-estate flew under the radar, but it earned praise in the right quarters

BMW iX1 • Is our zero-emissions premium compact SUV the king of the 20mph zone?

TOYOTA COROLLA COMMERCIAL • Who wants a magic carpet...