This week’s Links We Like includes a new Australian site called Retro Rides, a curious case of the shy EV maker, a rocket ship Ariel for sale, a couple of classics reborn (or at least sorted out in one case) and a fascinating glimpse into what an American website thinks are significant cars from the last twenty years.
Retro Rides is a new Australian website and what better way to introduce you than via a story about the Ford Barra Turbo. One of the greatest engines to ever grace any engine bay anywhere ever.
A little while back Dave McCowen at News Ltd tested a Tesla Model 3 Performance at Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek to most of us) and the brakes overheated. Because the most powerful regen wasn’t available to him and of course, Tesla hasn’t fitted a set of track-ready brakes because why would you. So that’s not great.
Then Paul Maric at CarExpert booked one but like Dave was told the car would be hobbled for the test.
Sometimes we wander through the classifieds around the traps and find some proper gold. An Ariel Atom is the modern-day Lotus 7 with a screaming Honda engine and a 570kg kerb weight. This 2013 Atom Cup is absolutely bonkers.
And finally Autoblog is turning 20 and they’ve put together the most significant cars in the last two decades. Luckily I wasn’t drinking anything while running through the list because there are some doozies in there. But hey, it’s always good to see how other folks from around the world see what’s important.
That’s it for this week! If you’re enjoying The Redline, do sign up for the newsletter so you don’t miss a thing. Pretty soon there will be videos going up on the YouTube channel, so if you haven’t already, please subscribe there too and hit the bell button.
The VW Group’s first proper EV in Australia wasn’t – as expected – the ID.3 but the rather cooler Spanish off-shoot’s Cupra Born.
In a way, the Born is the ID.3, just not the one we were expecting. The Cupra brand was launching here and needed something to grab headlines next to the excellent Formentor range of petrols and hybrids.
A year after launch, I took a Cupra Born for its first drive in my hands to find out if the promise of its looks is delivered.
How much is the Cupra Born and what do I get?
$59,990 + ORC / $64,490 driveaway (NSW)
The Born arrived here in Australia 2023 and made a pretty immediate splash, selling out quickly. Cupra was happy with that and had to order more of them to satisfy demand.
Born comes in – effectively – three flavours as you can choose between the Interior package and the Performance Package. Four if you add both, but I’m not entirely sure you can do that.
Cupra Born
Without a ticked box, you get 19-inch Typhoon wheels, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, tyre pressure monitoring, 12-inch media screen, surround-view cameras, heated leather steering wheel, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio and a tyre repair kit.
You also get a 5.3-inch digital dashboard. I complained about a similarly-sized instrument pack in a BY Atto3 and I think this one is slightly too small as well. On the upside, the graphics package is way better and more readable, so it’s not all drama.
The Interior package adds Aurora Blue Alcantara-style heated front seats (Cupra calls the fabric Dinamica) with 12-way adjustment, a two-seat rear bench replacing the three-seater, heated washer jets and a Beats-branded nine-speaker 395-watt stereo.
That’s a $2900 addition.
The Performance Package adds 20-inch Firestorm alloy wheels 235/40 R20 Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, the same two-seat bench as the Interior package and adaptive damping.
That’s a better-spent $2600 option (if you were to ask me).
The car I had featured the Performance package which is exactly what we need for this site.
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How is the pricing compared to rivals?
The price compares well against EV competition and gives the Abarth 500e a smack around the chops. It’s a few grand under a Tesla Model 3 (at the time of writing, we know how that price swings around), a Polestar 2 and a “normally” priced Peugeot 2008.
A similarly-sized BYD Atto3 is significantly cheaper in the mid-$40k but isn’t anything like the Born apart from the size. Perfectly agreeable conveyance but not much else.
The MG4 X Power is a few more grand expensive and given it’s so much quicker worth looking at but falls short dynamically. You’d be better off comparing with MG4 Long Range 77 with the sweeter rear-wheel drive chassis and mid-$50k price point. I’d argue (already) the Born is a better bet for the interior alone.
A Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, both of which are larger cars but with smaller batteries are a little higher again than the Tesla, Polestar or Peugeot. Neither of the Koreans has such a big battery at their lower price points.
Media and entertainment
VW Group’s much-maligned basic software ships with the Born. I think everyone is a little too hard on it, it’s not like you’re saving lives with it or anything. The soft buttons are the things that need to be sent into the sun via the means of a rocket or large trebuchet. They’re on the screen and the steering wheel and they’re absurdly irritating because they’re laggy and provide no feedback.
There’s nothing as irritating as, say, a Tiguan R’s steering wheel heating coming on if you hold the steering wheel like, say, a human, but gimme the old school mechanical buttons and I’ll be much happier.
How safe is the Cupra Born? 5 Stars (ANCAP 2023)
The Cupra arrives from Spain with a set of seven airbags (including a front centre airbag to prevent head clashes in a side impact), forward AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and driver attention monitoring.
The Born’s vehicle warranty matches the rest of the Cupra range at five years/unlimited kilometres which is in the middle, with most EVs at either five or seven years. The 500e is the obvious and irritating exception.
Servicing is when it should be, which is every year or 15,000km. You can buy a service pack for three years ($990) or five years ($1590), which feels a mite on the pricey side for an EV but I’m all for having the car looked at once a year no matter what. It’s two tons of glass, steel and in this case battery.
Speaking of the battery, you get an eight year/160,000km warranty which is about right across the industry however I can’t find anything which specifies where that warranty kicks in. Some companies warrant against a particular percentage of battery degradation (usually 20 or 30 percent) but Cupra is hedging its bets with the use of the word “excessive.”
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Look and Feel
I think the Cupra Born looks great, which is something because the ID.3 on which it is obviously based is so dreary. Everything is so much sharper looking on the Born, with some terrific Cupra copper detailing.
I really like the way it stands on the road, too, and it’s really clear a lot of thought has gone into this car.
The 20-inch Firestorm wheels are awesome and remind of the OZ Sparco rally wheels of the 1990s on cars like the superbly bonkers Ford Escort RS Cosworth.
I like the lighting, the full-width rear reflector, the blacked-out detailing, it all just works, even the side sills with the aero fence on it. Just superb.
It’s not the World’s Prettiest Car – we all know that’s a Nissan Pulsar sedan (this is an in-joke for an audience of two) but it has the right balance of elegance and drama without the dreariness of the donor car.
First two are mine, third is supplied because I forgot to take a photo of the rear seat. I’m a professional.
Inside the front seats look superb, again with some really lovely detailing in the Performance version. I’m sure the Interior package ones look great too. I don’t even mind the flat-bottomed steering wheel because it has that lovely, tactile Cupra logo in the centre.
It’s not as appealing as the exterior but it’s really nice to be in.
Those front seats are as comfortable as they look and carried us very comfortably to the Blue Mountains and back. Between the front seats is a roll-top covered pair of cupholders and further back an armrest over an open bin which houses the wireless charging pad.
In the back you get nicely-shaped chairs and in the Performance and Interior package-equipped cars, the middle seat goes in favour of a padded and lined tray arrangement but, weirdly, you don’t lose the armrest with its pair of standard issue VW cupholders.
The boot is an impressive 385 litres and very easy to access.
Battery and Charging
82kWh (77kWh usable) WLTP range: 511km AC charging: 11kW DC charging: 170kW
The Born ships with a whopping 82kWh battery pack which is the kind of size you see in expensive Euro sedans and SUVs or expensive-for-Chinese-brands machines. European Cupra customers have a choice of a smaller and obviously cheaper 58kWh pack but we’re still on the high end, which makes sense to me.
Annoyingly, that smaller battery pack makes the Born quicker to 100km/h, but we’ll get to that later.
WLTP figures for the Born with the 82kWh battery are a healthy 511km. In my week with the Born I averaged 18.2kWh/100km which translates to a range of 423km from 77kWh.
That doesn’t sound amazing but the reality is, it’s quite good. Picking on the Abarth 500e, it has a battery that’s about two-thirds the size of the Born’s but can only squeak out about 210km on a single charge. The Fiat 500e isn’t remarkably better on the same pack.
On top of that, a huge chunk of my Born figure came from highway running, so with more city running you’d easily see 460km or even 480km if you were careful. I’d also bet a modest sum of money that the 19-inch wheeled Born was how Cupra got its WLTP number, making this Performance version’s number even better.
You’ll find the CCS2 charge port on the right rear quarter panel.
I charged once on an Evie 50kW charger and it held 49Kw for the most of the session delivering 32.39kW in 41 minutes. Obviously it slowed after about 80 percent, but I’m happy with that speed. You’re unlikely to find a working 150kW or above charger, so this gives you good idea that a shopping trip is ample time to charge half the usable capacity.
Drivetrain
Under the stubby bonnet you can see some of the gear but it’s neither the battery pack nor the motor. You’ll find the motor between the rear wheels which is absolutely superb.
That motor kicks out 170kW and 310Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint of seven seconds flat.
Chassis
Two things are really important here. The Performance Pack adds wider 235/40 Michelin Pilot Sport EVs (I think they’re Pilot Sport 4 based, let me know if I’m wrong). As well as those tasty wheels and tyres, the chassis scores adaptive damping.
The un-packaged car has 19s, narrower tyres and static suspension. I haven’t driven one so equipped but I’m ever more curious as I write this to try it out.
The base car does feature progressive steering, though, which is nice, so that carries on to the packages. And, to repeat myself, it’s rear-wheel drive.
Suspension is pretty conventional, with MacPherson struts up front and multi-link at the rear. The Performance Pack adds, I cannot stress this enough, adaptive damping that is probably worth the price of admission alone if you’re keen on a bit of fun.
Having said that, I don’t know what a non-adaptive car drives like, so when I find out, I’ll let you know.
Given the car’s weight, it’s unsurprising that the front brakes are big at 340mm. Also unsurprising is the fact that the rear brakes are drums. That’s where all the regen braking happens and in most cars the rears are just along for the ride.
I’ve mentioned more than once that this is based on the ID.3 but more accurately it is built on the VW Group’s MEB (Modularer E-Antriebs Baukasten or modular electric-drive toolkit). That platform has spawned a startling array of new cars, including the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Skoda Enyaq iV, ID.4 through ID.7 and the awesome-looking ID.Buzz Kombi replacement.
And, surprisingly, the Europe-only Ford Explorer and the controversially-named Ford Capri EV pairing.
Driving
I really, really liked this car. It does everything.
Sometimes I’ll have a car for a day and think, “I could totally have one of these.” While the Born was initially impressive, it kept impressing me. The minor quibbles were around the slightly but not fatally annoying quirks of the media system, the small dashboard and not much else, basically.
Things are just where they’re supposed to be. There are drive mode selectors on the steering wheel, everything is within easy reach and, once again, the electric motor is at the back.
So straight away the steering feels good – yes, it’s light like just about all steering now (I have a palate-cleansing hydraulic-assisted BMW and by modern standards it feels so heavy), but there’s no torque steer.
Even on a run to the shops, that makes a difference because having the torque at zero rpm causes shenanigans. But not here. So the Michelins can get on with the job of turning and stopping and going without any fuss.
The Born isn’t a rocket but it’s a lovey car in which you can get a flow on. I went for a fun thrash down through a road I know well, with terrible concrete panels that are misaligned after years of heavy vehicle use and tree roots.
You can hear the tyres working and that’s a good thing because the limit is telegraphed well ahead of time so you can build confidence, leaning on the rubber harder and harder.
The adaptive damping is never too firm even in Cupra mode, which is a tremendous achievement because it’s not sloppy either. In Range and Comfort modes, it’s just easygoing and soaks up the bumps really nicely. But Cupra mode is so good, it doesn’t matter.
Cupra mode mostly sharpens up the throttle and the steering and once again, it’s finely-judged and adds to the fun.
It is a two-ton car with me on board and yet it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like a well-sorted hatchback – dare I say it, a Golf – and that’s a good thing, right down to the warm hatch performance.
The thing about it is that it does everything really well. The realistic 460-480km range means you’re not forever charging it, its rolling performance is far better than its dash to the ton suggests making it a weapon in traffic. On our traditional run up to the Blue Mountains it was super-quiet, handled the crappy weather and didn’t flatten the battery.
As an EV, it’s great. As a warm hatch it’s great. As an EV warm hatch it’s…well…obviously great.
Anything else I need to know about the Cupra Born?
Nothing dramatic. We have heard that the Cupra Born VZ is on the way, which is a 240kW/545Nm hot hatch with a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. Which doesn’t seem like an incredible use of 70 more kilowatts or 235Nm, but here we are. The range is apparently unaffected but I don’t believe that for a second.
The front seats look amazing, though. No pricing that I’m aware of for Australia but it is out in Europe for around €52,000-plus. That’s a lot, putting it in the probable mid-$70k range.
There are low mileage 2023 Borns kicking around for about $47,000 which I think is extraordinary value given that’s less than what a BYD Atto3 Extended Range costs. I know what I’d rather have. There’s even a Performance Pack one for $49,000 with 5700km on the clock.
Redline Recommendation
The Born is probably a ripper of a car in its basic spec and I reckon is probably 80 percent of the fun this car is. The extra $2600 for the Performance pack is likely money well spent and that’s what I’d do if buying new or searching for a used one.
But given the might of the VW Group behind this machine, the proven MEB platform and the fun of the Cupra chassis magic, the only reason our roads aren’t infested with this thing is the EV starting price.
So yeah, if you’re thinking about it, this is genuinely great car to drive and I reckon it would be great to own.
September 9 is World EV Day so I thought I’d write something that’s been on my mind for while.
Over the past few months, a narrative has developed in the media that electric car sales are slowing. As a regular on ABC Radio Sydney, talkback callers take every chance they can to tell me they saw a thing on Facebook where there are fields full of unsold electric cars in China.
Well, there probably are. They’re probably waiting to be shipped somewhere to be actually sold. A huge number of EVs are made in China and by brands you probably don’t expect – Volvo, Polestar, BMW and Tesla are just four literally off the top of my head.
The reality is, I can unearth photos of unsold cars of all types if the time is right. I tell people not to believe everything they see on Facebook.
I don’t really see myself as much of a journalist, more of a consumer advice person who likes to pepper his copy with jokes. Whether you find me a. funny or b. informative is entirely up to you but I hope I’m both.
Anyway, I don’t normally take much notice of this kind of silliness but I figured it’s worth digging in to see what’s going on and whether things really are tailing off in a manner so substantial it has the loons dancing around oil wells.
China
From a global perspective, the International Energy Agency expects an increase of 3 million over 2023’s 13.7 million EV sales, with most of the growth coming from China. That country has been an EV powerhouse over the past few years, with 5.4 million sales in 2023, up by more than a third in 2022.
EV market share was around 25 percent.
2023 also saw the national New Energy Vehicle subsidy on EV purchases removed, however tax breaks remain, mirroring Germany’s partial reversal on EV inducements.
PWC says that in Q2 China’s EV sales were up 13 percent and overall the Chinese domestic EV market is looking to outpace 2023’s record number. According to Reuters, the 2024 increase is looking like 31 percent over 2023, which means a total EV sales figure of around seven million, picking up the slack in Europe and, according to Reuters and others, fuelling global EV growth.
Tesla is all over the place in 2024 but recorded a big number in August (63,456) fuelled by a five year interest-free program. BYD had a massive month, selling over 148,000 battery electric cars. That company is continuing strong overall growth in its all-electrified line (BYD only sells hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs), with BEVs making up almost half of its 2.3 million sales so far this year.
European Union – EV sales are down in 2024 (so far).
2023 was a great year for EV sales in the EU, with just over 1,840,000 battery electric vehicles sold. The Tesla Model Y had a massive year, followed by the Model 3. Sales across the board tanked very suddenly in December 2023 as incentives for EVs fell away in Germany.
Up until about this time last year, German EV buyers enjoyed a €4500 credit (A$7300) until the government suddenly killed the measure as part of a cuts program to sort out ailing government finances.
Even with that sudden drop in the single biggest European market, BEVs accounted for 16 percent of all new cars sold in Europe.
2024 has been a little slower, but not massively so. 2023’s king, the Model Y is losing ground as the year progresses. Sales are still very strong, but the mix is beginning to change. Volvo’s new compact SUV, the EX30 has had a good start, too, but that’s likely to be short-lived as China-built cars suffer a 30 percent tariff hit.
Those tarriffs will affect all Volvo, Polestar and BMW EVs made in China while VW’s refreshed ID.3 is enjoying a bit of a comeback and the Audi Q4 e-tron continues to sell well. Tesla supply is increasing from its Berlin plant so that should avoid the tariff problem.
BYD is looking to build a factory in Hungary and is considering a second EU factory to follow.
Sales to July (the most recent data I could find) showed a year-to-date figure of 815,399 EVs sold in Europe, meaning that the market is lagging slightly on the 2023 number.
BMW’s EV range continues to grow in stature and popularity. In July – perhaps a sign of things to come – the German giant toppled Tesla for the first time as the company that sold more EVs than anyone else, with i4 and iX1 leading the way. Tesla has only two models in Europe, so I’m expecting VW’s growing ID range to start troubling the US maker as well.
Interestingly, as Germany’s EV incentives have fallen away, the Netherlands, Belgium and France all saw year-on-year increases, although the French number was just a single percentage point.
In August, the German government responded to the fall in EV sales by saying new tax breaks were on the way for electric company cars, so that might stem the losses and get the country back on track for its 2030 and 2035 targets.
The petrol car market is down 7 percent for the year in Europe, so it will be interesting to see the wash-up at year’s end. As with most developed countries, high interest rates and a general global economic slowdown are affecting car markets.
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United States
Tesla Model Y. Nobody really does this.
In the US, total electric car registrations amounted to 1.4 million. The Federal government continues to support electric cars with subsidies through the Clean Vehicle Tax Credit and Tesla famously cut prices. Several times.
In 2024, EV sales remain strong. The second quarter saw 330,000-plus EV sales, 11.3 percent more than the same period in 2023 and 23 percent higher than the first quarter of 2024.
Cox Automotive says that the Q2 result was due to better availability and some new models. Tesla sales fell below 50 percent market share for the first time while GM’s EV sales were up a whopping 40 percent.
The slightly soft first quarter result was also partially attributed to higher interest rates, which is also affecting the broader car market.
Consulting firm JD Power expects EV market share to reach 9 percent in the US in 2024, missing the company’s own forecast of 12 percent. Reuters reported that the firm still believes EV market share will reach 36 percent of market share in 2030 and nearly 60 percent by 2035.
Chinese makers are basically nowhere in the US, with a hefty 100 percent tariff on every car imported from there. BYD is looking to avoid tariffs in the US by building a factory in Mexico. Recent media reports suggest that this may be on hold until after the results of the US election.
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Australia
And then there’s little old us. In 2023, EV sales nearly reached 100,000, ending up at 98,436 and contributing to more than half the total EV fleet on the roads at the start of 2024.
That number equates to a market share of 8.45 percent, more than doubling from 3.8 percent in 2023. These numbers were driven by Tesla price cuts, the arrival of BYD’s Atto3 and Seal and the MG4.
By the end of August, 63,191 EVs had been sold, 27000 of those either Tesla Model 3 or Model Y. Despite that impressive number, Tesla is slowly receding in market share as new models arrive and prices are cut. The US maker’s market share was nearly 60 percent in 2023 but down to 45 in 2024, at least so far.
Overall, the EV market share is off by just half a percent, which is impressive given the end of the incentives on offer in NSW and Victoria at this time last year. Federal incentives remain, largely to do with Fringe Benefits Tax exemption on cars that slip under the Luxury Car Tax limit which explains the BMW i4 eDrive 35’s strong performance (1177 deliveries to July!).
One thing to note is the lack of Tesla and Polestar figures in the VFACTs reports. Both companies bailed out of the scheme citing the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries lack of genuine support for electric vehicle transition. The FCAI had made what Tesla called misleading claims about the impact of the New Vehicle Emissions Scheme to bully the government into watering it down.
It should be noted Tesla had to be dragged into reporting its sales kicking and screaming and lasted two years.
The point of me telling you this (thanks to a reminder from an Instagram friend) is that without those two brands in VFACTs, folks in the media looking to mislead have an easy time of it without looking at either the EV Council numbers or the self-reporting numbers of both brands.
So is it true? Are EV sales falling away?
Globally? No. That’s the easy answer. It’s more nuanced, obviously.
European EV sales have dipped, mostly in Germany. The UK, which I haven’t covered here (and that’s the Brexit you voted for, Nigel) is still showing strong demand for EVs as is the US. As I’ve already said, the broader European market has slowed by 7 percent and with the EV drop of around the same number, it’s hardly cause for alarm or rejoicing depending on where you stand.
You may, however, be sensing a theme here. Tesla’s sales have been in a gentle decline for the last 18 months. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in China but because of the brand’s incredible stranglehold on the EV market and mindset, media reporting is basically, “Tesla down, all down.”
Legacy car makers and Chinese challengers are finally making a dent in Tesla’s dominance, which was always going to be the way whether Musk was a monk or the loon he actually is.
As Tesla is distracted by Musk’s insistence it’s now an AI and robotics company now, there’s no new product apart from the dire Cybertruck (on which they’re probably making no money), its (in)famous high margins are taking a hit as the company cuts prices to clear overproduction and overcome economic slowdown.
As EV competition slowly increases and European makers start getting out cars like the Renault 5 and begin making inroads into the light hatchback segment, I’d expect the growth to resume at a modest pace once interest rates fall.
That will be supported by the emergence of the global economy from its recent slowdown and a year full of elections in key industrialised countries like France, Britain and the US. And with the US Federal Reserve looking to rapidly cut interest rates after leaving them too high for too long, there’s a general bounce on the horizon.
So, no, the end of electric vehicles is not near. Nice try, Rupert.
Hopefully the weekend is a good time to sit back and catch up with what you’ve missed over the week. Here’s a selection of some great videos, or at least videos I like.
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Dave Zalstein – 1977 Porsche 911
Dave spends time with Hugh Feggans and his restomodded 1977 Porsche 911. It’s a great video where both Dave and Hugh geek out over the work done to this gorgeous old machine.
Dave is a tremendous bloke who has a had a pretty rough couple of years but it hasn’t stopped him from getting out and having a crack at his own channel. If you ask me, I want more of this and I’m a bit jealous he thought of this format first.
What’s even better is that watching this video means that all proceeds go to mental health charities.
ReDriven – Used Euros We’d Actually Buy
ReDriven is a fantastic used car review and advice channel that has grown rapidly over the past couple of years.
This is a great video where ReDriven host Adam and resident mechanic Jim go through the European used cars they’d actually buy. ReDriven – like The Redline – is completely independent and does not rely on advertising from car companies to support them, so the opinions are unvarnished truth.
It also helps that the first car is one of my all-time favourites, the Ford Fiesta ST.
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Addicted to Sliding – Ioniq 5 N Ultimate Street Car Challenge
Scotty Newman – legend of MOTOR Magazine and more recently Carsales – has a YouTube channel called Addicted to Sliding (as well as an Instagram channel of the same name).
Some doofus upstairs at Carsales decided he was surplus to requirements (along with other excellent folks) so I think the only reasonable thing to do is make sure his YouTube channel pops (he is also part of the Friday Drive team at Lorbek).
Here we see Scott have a whale of a time at the Ultimate Street Car Challenge at Calder Park in the hugely fun (and powerful) Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
Ruairidh MacVeigh – The Car That Nearly Killed BMW
Despite Ruairidh’s enthusiastic use of the passive voice, his stuff is fascinating. This is an oldie but a goodie, detailing BMW’s travails producing the beautiful 507.
(just quietly, look at the size of the damn grille)
The EX90 is based on the same platform as the Polestar 3 and when I saw it in Gothenburg during January 2022 I was blown away by how cool this car will be.
In Australia it’s a seven-seater only, I guess to keep the Polestar 3 on its own.
Subaru BRZ tS review
Drive.com.au asked me to review the Subaru BRZ tS and who was I say to say no?
The V8 is gone, sadly, because it was delightfully silly. Having said that you’ve still got at least 12 months to get your hands on one. Here’s CarExpert’s Paul Maric on the new Patrol and it’s turbocharged V6 engine.
Smart returns to Australia
Smart is now a joint-venture between Geely (owner of Volvo, Lotus and a host of others) and Mercedes-Benz. The brand is returning to Australia with a new distributor after Mercedes Australia abandoned the over-priced weirdo machines a few years ago.
Gonna be a while before it reaches Australia but it looks incredible.
Where will I be?
Redline Editor Peter Anderson will be on ABC 702 Sydney with James Valentine at 1pm AEST. Tune in, stream, ask yourself a census question to upset somebody.
Fiat’s enduring small car, the 500, has gone all-electric (for now) and we drove the two versions available in Australia: quick and quicker.
Words: Peter Anderson Co-pilots: Mark Dewar and Blake Currall Images: Blake Currall
I’ve always loved the Cinquecento. Even when it’s not very good – and there are a few versions that are borderline terrible – it’s fun. The formula of tiny car/big personality is a dead-set winner.
While it has obviously grown over its nearly seven decades on the planet – and yes, I know, the 500 was out of production for ages – it’s still a small car by modern standards. Smaller than the Mini which is now gargantuan. Smaller than the cars we now call small because stuff has just gotten so big over the years.
The 500 was resurrected in 2007 to take on its 1950s rival, the Mini, itself rebooted some years earlier by BMW. That second-generation spawned all sorts of nonsense like the entirely silly but somehow likeable 500X compact SUV (based on the same platform as the awful Jeep Renegade) but it also brought back the Abarth.
That car was deeply flawed but all the more fun because of it. There were so many versions including the hugely expensive Abarth Tributo Ferrari and the hilariously mad 695 Biposto.
For the third-generation 500, Fiat took a big gamble – it went slightly bigger but also went fully electric. I first saw one on the road in Italy in September 2022 and thought it was awesome. Coincidentally, my wife and I were haring around Puglia in a 500 1.2-litre manual mild hybrid hire car and we had the time of our lives. So the 500 was still fun after being on sale for nearly 17 years.
What would this chunky rebirth mean for this iconic car and its performance version, the Abarth?
Fiat 500e and Abarth 500e: How much are they and what do I get?
Fiat 500: $28,900 +ORC Fiat 500e La Prima: $52,500 +ORC Abarth 695 manual: $38,900 +ORC Abarth 5ooe: $60,500 +ORC
500e La Prima price and specs:
$52,500 before on-roads
Look, that’s a lot of money. The La Prima is very much the city car biased machine but in this rose gold (another $990 if you please) looks the absolute business. I am not a pink car guy but I really loved the way it looked and thought the extra bucks worth it.
At the time of writing, it should be noted, the La Prima was going for $49,990 driveaway. While that’s still not a steal, you’ll see why it probably doesn’t matter too much. It’s still a hefty premium over the older generation petrol car, now only sold, bafflingly, in automatic. The Abarth is still manual-only, thank goodness.
The 500e La Prima ships from the Turin factory with 17-inch diamond cut alloys, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, “eco” leather seat trim, heated front seats, reversing camera, adaptive cruise, six speaker sound system, climate control, keyless entry and a tyre repair kit.
Abarth 500e Scorpionissima price and specs:
$60,500 before on roads
Like the La Prima this is a stack of cash. On the road you’re very close to a Polestar 2 with rear-wheel drive and the MG4 X-Power. Or a Tesla Model 3, but why on earth would you do that. Or the X-Power MG4, come to think of it – the rear-wheel drive cars are better and don’t run out of brakes.
From the same factory as the 500e, you get 18-inch diamond cut alloys, LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, Alcantara-trimmed body-hugging sports front seats, heated front seats, reversing camera, six speaker sound system with JBL branding, climate control, keyless entry and a tyre repair kit.
Media and entertainment
Both cars feature a configurable 7.0-inch digital dashboard, though they have their own “personalities.” They also both have a 10.25-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present and correct, the screen is easy to use with both of these booted up.
Both cars have six speakers and there wasn’t anything that jumped out at me about either of them. The Abarth has JBL speakers but I rarely find myself saying, “Oh, gosh, these are much better.”
Annoyingly, the screen doesn’t say much about the car’s EV performance, something that is really starting to stick in my craw. So many cars offer next to no usable information on the battery and range. I have to check my maths a million times with most EVs when it should just tell me what’s going on.
Cheeringly, the climate controls are not buried in a menu somewhere which is also good because the screen menus are a bit hard to hit on the move. The voice control is okay but only minimally useful.
Safety: Four stars (ANCAP, 2021)
Both cars feature six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, blind spot assist and tyre pressure monitoring.
The safety systems worked fine but the front parking sensors on the 500e were cooked. Every time you pulled to a stop they’d start beeping even with nothing in front of you. I’m pretty sure that was an isolated fault but it seriously irritating until I worked out you could turn off the parking sensors.
Service and Warranty
Three years/150,000 kilometres 12 months/15,000km, capped-price servicing
Well. A three year warranty in 2024 on a tiny electric car costing quite a lot of money just isn’t cricket. The 150,000km is meaningless given this car will rarely leave the confines of metropolitan centres.
The servicing regime is a 50:50 proposition. While you have to roll in every 12 months/15,000, the service will only set you back $250 for the first eight, taking you all the way to (theoretically) 120,000km.
Look and Feel
The 500e looks utterly superb, especially in Rose Gold. It’s such a great colour and absolutely works with the proportions, detailing and the vibe. I love the way the bonnet appears to have been closed over the lights but they shine through anyway. I love the aerodynamic side indicator repeaters. The faithful rendering of the wheel-at-each-corner stance (why isn’t this car rear wheel drive, though?), it looks splendid.
Even the wheel spec is just right.
Inside you’ll find the very cool seats with Fiat embossed in the backs as well as the 500 motif. I don’t like single-spoke steering wheels but I like this one because it makes sense to be able to see the dash but the flat bottom would – and in the Abarth does – look a bit funny with an extra spoke. I loved being in this car.
The dash on the passenger side even had a cool weave effect hinting at the textile roof and upholstery of the Nuova 500.
The seats are comfortable but as we’ll shortly discover, could do with a bit more lateral support. Irritatingly the sunroof blind is perforated so utterly pointless in summer and makes the air-conditioning work harder than it needs to. On the right kind of day, the glass sunroof is really fun, though, with so much light pouring into the cabin.
Fans of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will get this gag – a black Abarth is like Hotblack Desiato’s ship. Black on black. The light just falls into it.
As with the La Prima, the Scorpionissimo is really nicely detailed. I love the scorpion on the rear quarter, the wheels looks brilliant and it somehow goes from sweetness and light in the rose gold to dark and menacing in the Abarth black.
The interior has a cracking set of sports seats with a dodgy but good-looking pull strap to tip them forward for rear access. Alcantara is the perfect choice for the seats and it just looks great in here.
I never really warmed to the three-spoke steering wheel, though.
Ergonomically, the car is pretty good apart from the annoying door releases. A button that looks like a Mercedes starter button release the doors on the inside and on the outside you have to kind of squeeze the door handle. Perhaps more annoyingly is that you don’t hear the car lock when you press the key fob.
Entry and exit for the front is easy because the doors are huge. Vision out is brilliant because there’s lots of glass by modern car standards, too. My wife – who stands at 170cm – actually fit reasonably comfortably in the back seat behind my 190cm tall son. His head brushed the aforementioned perforated sunroof blind, so that’s a pain because you can’t get a 500e or Abarth without one.
It’s remarkably roomy, though.
The boot is predictably small, but useful enough for a city car. The cables you see here at the standard inclusions and they zip up nicely into the bag next to it. If you use public charging, you don’t really need these cables with you.
At just 185 litres it will take a few shopping bags or a single suitcase. You might squeeze a couple of cabin size bags in there too. But yeah, it’s tight. No surprises really given the car is just 3673mm long. But the 2322 wheelbase means there’s plenty of room for actual people, which is worth the trade-off I reckon.
Drivetrain and charging
500eLa Prima: 87kW/220Nm Abarth: 113kW/235Nm
The 500e ships with a permanent magnet electric motor driving the front wheels (WHY?) delivering 87kW and 200Nm, obviously both technically at zero revs. Because the 500e is a bit of a chunky boi with another 400-odd kilos over the older petrol car, the official 0-100km/h figure is nine seconds dead.
Stepping up to the Abarth nets you another 26kW and 15Nm, knocking the 0-100km/h time down to seven seconds.
Now. Both feature the same 42kWh battery pack under the floor. So that means the more powerful Abarth is penalised fairly heftily on range. The 500e has a WLTP range of 311km while the Abarth drops to 253km, an almost 60km drop.
That’s partly due to the bigger wheels and no doubt the different driving modes. So Fiat is being pretty honest on the differences. The 500e is rated at 14.4kW/100km while the Abarth climbs to 18.1kWh/100km. 14.4 isn’t bad, 18.1 is up there with some much bigger cars, so the aero and the wheels really do whack it.
Charging is by a CCS2 port on the right rear quarter with a maximum DC rate of 85kW and AC rate of 11kW. Fiat says you can charge from 0-80 percent in 35 minutes.
In the Abarth I got 12.768kW in at a maximum rate of 45kW on a 50kW Evie charger. So that took just under 20 minutes which feels a bit slow. At 58c/kWh it cost $7.41 which would get me about 75km in the Abarth and about 90km in the 500e. So it felt like the charging wasn’t all that quick.
The upside to the small battery is that you can charge at home if you have access to a power point. If you set it to charge to 80 percent at even 3kW per hour, that’s an 11 hour charge. You don’t need to do that every night unless you’re burning around.
In the real world, the 500e was the clear winner on range, carrying me and my family 220km and finishing with 26% of charge.
The Abarth fared much worse, needing a quick top-up and really only squeaking through 200km with that extra 13-odd kilowatts. But again, if you’ve the access, it’s all about changing your habits.
Driving
Let’s start with a careful dissection of the 500e okay fine, it’s so much fun. The 0-100km/h time doesn’t really tell the full story because it rockets off the line to about 60, which is exactly what you want.
It’s so wieldy and chuckable, the low-down weight does far more to help than hinder. Non-Abarth petrol 500s are hardly point-and-shoot machines, especially as you can only get them in auto at the moment, but the 500e is a bit of an urban warrior, slicing and dicing the traffic.
You can just imagine this thing scything its way through the traffic in Rome, handling the cobblestones like they ain’t no thing and generally being a menace (in a good way).
The three electric modes are reasonably distinctive but I’d like the option to tweak the settings to your own liking. I want the acceleration in Normal mode with the regen in Range mode. I tended to leave the thing in Sherpa mode which limits you to 80km/h (unless you smash the throttle against the firewall) which was a pretty good balance.
It probably wouldn’t be much good in summer as it also limits the air-con.
For such a small car, the ride is quite good even though the stiffer springs and suspension to stop it scraping its belly and sparking like an F1 car would murder the comfort in anything else this small.
You’re always aware that it’s stiff but it’s only on really bad stuff that it becomes a problem.
And this is where we come to the Abarth. Unfortunately, it’s too stiff as a daily. I took it across lots of different surfaces and it never really settles. Yes the turn-in is sharper and you can really make this thing go around corners at absurd speeds, but it bounces so hard your foot comes off the accelerator.
I imagine there was a lot of discussion about this. The seats help you to brace your leg for more control, sure, but to make it less kangaroo-ey would mean softening the response which would…suck.
It is probably hilarious fun on a track but you’d need a fast-charger because the range from the same 42kWh battery is compromised by the extra power draw of the motor.
The three modes in this car are basically Normal, Fast Street and Fast Track. That final rips out the regen so when you lift off the throttle, it coasts rather than applying any braking force.
At first this annoyed me but then I remember what happens when you hit a bump, and it all became clear. When you’re having fun, this will stop you making yourself ill. The safety systems are too good for you throw it in a hedge because of an imprudent lift-off in the Scorpion Street mode, but it will certainly make the car more predictable when going fast.
It is even more than the 500e but for the extra money, it’s less usable. That sort of makes sense in the Abarth 595 because it’s not mid-$60k on the road (although it is mid $40k…) but this one is for the really committed Fiat fan.
Redline Recommendation
They’re both enormous fun and if you’ve got the money to burn, I’ve given you enough information to tell you which one is best for you.
The thing about the 500e platform is that I think it’s everything good about electric vehicles. It makes absolute sense in its intended environment, it does a great job and it’s enjoyable.
While the Abarth is fun, it’s not everyday fun and the limited range blunts the overall brilliance of the package.
The 500e meanwhile will put a smile on your face very damn time you drive the thing. I’m not even going to get into the value for money argument because there isn’t one, it’s expensive, even at the promo price.
To be fair to Fiat Australia, the 500e and Abarth 500e are expensive everywhere. There’s not much to strip out to make a meaningful difference to the price, so we get them fully-loaded.
If it was $45,000 on the road, it would still be pricey but people would consider it because once they drive it, they’ll be hooked. I genuinely haven’t stopped thinking about this car for weeks.
Everything else this small has question marks over it because they’re not from a company that has been nailing the brief on small cars for 70 years. This is by far the most convincing small EV since the BMW i3, a car so good that nobody has been able to get close to it for over a decade.
I’d have one of these as a second car in suburban Sydney in a heartbeat. It’s fun, the charging is doable at home (I have the luxury of a garage) and every single person in my family loves it, including the dog. In a couple of years time I will be on the hunt for a used one, no question.
I’ll occasionally think of the Abarth but wouldn’t regret the 500e. Not for one moment.
Audi’s first proper EV in Australia was just called e-tron when it first launched a few years back. But Audi’s ever-evolving naming scheme – and growing EV range – has seen the addition of the Q8 badge.
It’s an interesting play given that there is a whole range of Q8s that aren’t the same car as this one. The “other” Q8s – some of which are reviewed here, one or two of them rather gleefully – feature diesel and petrol V6s and V8s.
Still, it stops the numbering system getting completely out of whack and one assumes the next generation will be all of a piece.
How much is the 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron 55 and what do I get?
Swoopy back! That’s the Sportback difference
There are two Q8 e-trons on offer and thankfully there isn’t a plethora of powertrains to explain. Basically, there’s the SUV which is a more sensible shoes straight-up-and down SUV body with a good-sized boot. That one is $153,900 before on-roads.
For that you get 20-inch alloys, adaptive air suspension, auto LED headlights, auto wipers heated and folding rear vision mirrors, power tailgate with gesture control (foot waving), interior ambient lighting package, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, head-up display, 12.3-inch digital dashboard, Audi connect plus, in-built sat nav, DAB digital radio, 10-speaker sound, around-view cameras and a storage package.
That seems like a fair bit. However…
…and annoyingly, Matrix LEDs are not part of the package, and Audi isn’t too shy to charge you a further $3300. Less annoyingly, the camera-based rear vision mirrors aren’t standard and probably not worth $3500. I know where I’d rather spend that kind of cash and it’s on an incredible set of headlights.
Then there’s the inevitable Sportback variant with the swoopy rear end and therefore a smaller boot for $165,900. Added to the SUV you get the S-Line styling package, 21-inch alloys, Valcona leather on the front seats, four-zone climate control and storage and luggage package.
Useful additions but they’re all cosmetic or convenience, presumably to make up for the smaller boot. I think it looks pretty good apart from that chintzy, buck-toothed silver grille that should be blacked-out at your earliest convenience please and thank you.
The test car included the 22kW charging package, a B&O branded 3D sound system and metallic paint (Plasma Blue), taking the before on-roads total to $176,850.
Entertainment and Connectivity
The optional B&O 16-speaker system is hooked up to Audi’s excellent MMI system which features DAB digital radio, some basic stats for your EV data brain and Audi Connect Plus.
The sound is quite rich in the big cabin, so it seems like a decent system. As ever, I add the disclaimer that I am not an audiophile, so your mileage there will obviously vary.
Connect Plus uses an on-board SIM card to talk turkey to the navigation system, to bring you all sorts of information such as charging stations, servos, toilets and even restaurants. It’s all pretty clever and was a long time coming to Australia. It doesn’t need data for the sat nav to work, but the other stuff does, so you won’t be stranded if you’ve strayed too far from coverage.
You can also control the car from an app on your phone. You can turn on the climate control, lock and unlock as well as find out where it is if you’ve lent it to someone or you’ve forgotten where you parked as well as send sat nav instructions.
Android Auto is via USB and Apple CarPlay is wireless. The latter looks fantastic splashed across the big screen so one imagines Android Auto is similarly lovely.
The wireless charging pad is quite clever – it has a little sprung lever to hold the phone against the Qi pad. My only complaint is that a phone in a cover gets pretty hot.
Safety
The Q8 e-tron ships with eight airbags, forward AEB, reverse AEB, lane guidance, blind-spot monitoring, exit warning, front and rear parking sensors, around-view cameras, collision avoidance and reverse-cross traffic alert.
The e-tron as it was known then scored five ANCAP stars in 2019 but it’s unlikely to hold on to that score without a front centre airbag.
The forward AEB works at up to 250km/h, has pedestrian and cyclist detection up to 85km/h and will try and stop you turning across oncoming traffic it thinks you will hit.
All the systems behaved pretty well and as with most German-engineered cars, the lane-keep wasn’t pushy or overbearing.
Battery and Charging
Battery size: 114kWh (gross) Max charging speed: 170kW AC charging speed: 7.2kW Fastest 10-80% charge: 31 minutes @ 170kWh
The left-hand side AC-onlt charger.
A fair bit happened between e-tron becoming Q8 e-tron. The battery went from 95kW to 114kW, which is a hefty jump. Faster charging is now available too, stepping up from 150kW to 170kW on the CCS2 DC charger on the right-hand side of the car.
Interestingly – and cleverly – the Q8 e-tron has a second AC-only charger on the left-hand side of the car, which makes it a bit easier to charge in tight garages. I’m not sure the weird electrically-operated flap cover is necessary but it’s fun to use.
Audi supplies a six-year Chargefox subscription with each Q8 e-tron, which is might fine if you live or work near a Chargefox site and even better if you, you know, it’s a working site.
I’m not bitter.
AC charging works at up to 7.2kW so an overnight charge at home is going to be close to 30 hours from dead. A wallbox will halve that and Audi will cheerfully flog you one of those to step you up to 11kW charging.
A 22kW charger will get you down to closer to six hours as long as you have the 22kW package.
At 170kW you’ll be in good shape to do a more sensible 10-80 percent charge in about 35-40 minutes, if you can extract that performance from the charger. It’s not the fastest gun in the west but honestly, you’ll struggle to find a working 150kW charger anyway.
Consumption on test: 21.5kWh/100km Mileage on test: 372km Possible range: 460km
I didn’t end up needing to charge, which is nice but it meant I didn’t get to test the charge performance. Over the week I had the Q8 e-tron I covered 372km using 80 percent of the 114kWh battery’s charge. That translates to a much better than expected overall usage of 21.5kW/100km.
This included a 250km round trip from home to Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains. That means 70-odd km on the M4 at around 100km/h, lots of time at 80km/h in tunnels and arterial roads and the long climb to Katoomba.
Of course that means the drive home means a lot of recharging going down the mountains, but does demonstrate the effectiveness of the energy regeneration and the possibly pessimistic claimed consumption figure.
It’s still, high, though, with most machines landing under the 20kWh/100km figure which I think you could equate roughly to 10L/100km in a petrol car. At a conceptual level, at least. I think the only car at this level not to get under 20kWh/100km reliably is the poor, under-loved Jaguar I-Pace.
If you’re charging at the going 50kWh rate (60c/kW), 21.5kWh/100km means you’re paying $12.90 to cover that distance.
A V6 petrol-engined Q8 would cost about double that. If you got closer to the claimed Q8 e-tron consumption figure, you’re still saving money at $15.36 to cover 100km. With free charging, well, there you are. It’s free even if the time spent at the charging station is not.
Ownership
Warranty: Five years/unlimited km Battery warranty: eight years/160,000km Roadside assist: six years
Audi offers a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is substantially better than what was on offer when the Q8 first launched as the e-tron. Servicing is also free for the first three services which are every two years or 30,000km.
Two years is too long between services in my humble opinion, that’s a lot of glass and metal (over 2500kg) going unchecked. But from a cost perspective, the servicing is free, so no arguments there, even if the car isn’t the cheapest.
Like its compatriot BMW, Audi offers a free unlimited Chargefox subscription but goes longer at six years. So as I said before, if you’re near a (working) Chargefox point, you’re in great shape.
You don’t get any incentives in any state for a car at this price point.
Driving
Gosh this is a lovely thing to get around in. You always know it’s a chunky boi, but it’s just so comfortable. The credit for that goes first to the adaptive air suspension.
Even riding on 21-inch alloys, the air suspension smooths out most of everything unless you’re in Dynamic mode, and even then, you’re still in good shape. It also drops ride height at speed as well as stiffening up in Dynamic and there are various settings, including towing, to make full use of the bags controlling the body.
The driving position is really very nice indeed, and I am an absurdly huge fan of the shifter.
It doesn’t actually move like a traditional shifter – yes I know this is hardy revolutionary – but you select by thumbing the silver section on the end forward or backward.
When you’re being lazy and cruising, you can rest your hand comfortably on the leather pad. And pretend you’re throttling up a fighter jet or something.
Powertrain
Motors: 150kW/330Nm front and rear Total power: 300kW Total torque: 660Nm 0-100km/h: 5.6 sec (claimed)
Which, if I’m honest, it feels like when you floor the throttle. There’s a boost mode which I worked out after shooting the video (coming soon) where you shift into Sport mode on the transmission and you get a little more kick.
Honestly, it’s not a lot more and it really is quite quick enough without it. The massive torque means easy overtaking. The all-wheel drive means you can punch out into fast-moving traffic with ease and not have to worry about turbo lag or a transmission catching up with your intentions.
It’s a lovely thing to drive.
Redline Recommendation
I really liked the e-tron when I first drove it and I really like the Q8 e-tron.
It’s a lot of money – that’s a bit of a problem. It is a bit hard on the juice – less of a problem if you bash around town, more of a problem if you’re out on the open road.
The crux of the issue is that the Q8 e-tron is based on the MLB platform meaning it’s not a ground-up EV platform. That means it’s heavier than a car like this needs to be and there just aren’t enough ways around having to load it up with a big heavy battery.
But as I keep saying, it’s lovely. It’s punchy, supremely comfortable and perfectly nice to get along with. There are other cars at this price point, but few so elegant (silver schnozz excepted).
Elon’s Twitter acquisition has shone the spotlight on the kind of guy he is and not everyone is keen.
Electric cars are starting to gain a foothold in the Australian automotive market. I regularly appear on ABC Radio Sydney and the talk just ends up being about EVs, which is fine because I really like talking about them.
First up, let me be honest with you – none of them are cheap. The cheapest new EV in the country today is the MG ZS EV followed closely by the BYD Atto 3, both of them from Chinese-owned companies.
I will mention where cars are made or their company ownership as a matter of course. People want to know where their cars are coming from and may want to make decisions based on these things.
It’s important to note that even if your chosen car is built in another country, a vast number of the components have likely been sourced in China. Mentioning where a car comes from is not a dog whistle about quality. Every Chinese built EV I have personally driven is well-built, some extremely well-built, so that’s not the point of mentioning the car’s origin.
And no, there is no short or medium term chance that Australia will become “an EV manufacturing powerhouse” no matter what the attention seekers say. It’s just not going to happen, not anytime soon anyway.
Anyway. Here we go, in no particular order.
MG
MG is a classic British badge but was bought by a Chinese company some years ago. The whole manufacturing operation moved to China soon after. There are number of electric MGs sold overseas but we’re not expecting the MG 4 in the first half of 2023. The MG 5 is not yet confirmed.
MG ZS EV
ZS EV Excite: $44,990 driveaway
ZS EV Aspire: $48,990 driveaway
The MG ZS was, then wasn’t, then was again the cheapest EV in the country. MG Australia responded to BYD’s slightly cheeky assertion that its Atto3 would be the cheapest EV by cutting prices. That’s unheard of 2022, but here we are.
The ZS EV is based on the ZS-T compact SUV. This car competes with cars like the Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Seltos. It’s cheap, it’s cheerful-ish and is just transport.
In ZS EV form you get to move past “just transport”. It handles and rides better than ICE car, with electric motivation knocking out one of the weaker links of the package.
Once supply is sorted out, the heavily facelifted ZS EV will arrive, bringing the EV in line with the ICE car’s upgrades. The upgrades were significant and worthwhile. It’s worth noting that the entertainment system isn’t brilliant but it does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The MG has a 50kWh battery pack and a claimed range of 320km. Very much a city car, but with a seven-year warranty, you can’t really go too wrong for a runabout.
BYD Atto 3
At its splashy Sydney launch the brand made the noises about being the cheapest EV in the country, but that was only in Tasmania. It’s still good value, but I would argue that it’s also worth the extra over the MG as it is a better car, at least it’s better than the pre-facelift MG ZS EV.
I drove a left-hand drive evaluation vehicle early in 2022 for Wheels and I go into quite a bit of detail over the hype of the BYD Blade battery.
Things are a bit squiffy at BYD in Australia, with constantly changing information about warranty coverage and service pricing. The servicing is a little bit expensive for an EV but the up-front value is undeniable.
Like the MG, BYD is a Chinese-owned company. The Atto 3’s first right-hand drive market is Australia and the local distributor had made some big promises about local suspension tune and tyre tunes, but that went by the wayside. The sales model was originally online-only but, as ever, things changed rapidly and a deal was done with dealer group Eagers Automotive to provide sales and service. The original service deal with MyCar remains in place.
Wheels Australia compared the two Chinese contenders here.
Kia
Kia has two fully electric vehicles available in Australia and both come from South Korea. The company offers a long seven-year warranty and fixed price servicing.
Kia Niro
The Niro is available in both hybrid and battery-electric versions.
Niro is in its second-generation – we only got the first version for about 18 months and it was available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric.
This new one is much better to look at and drive (although the first one drove okay). The GT-Line is expensive, though, and priced close to cars like the Tesla Model Y and Polestar 2. You do get a good range out of it, though, especially in the city with its 64.8kWh battery, which is mighty close to the Polestar’s long range battery.
With a claimed range of 460km, it’s not bad at all and I got close to the claimed range in my GT-Line review.
The Niro is based on a combination of ICE platforms so looks like a “normal” car.
I don’t mind the hybrid, but in a market where the Honda HR-V hybrid and Corolla Cross hybrids exist, it’s not my top choice. These cars are everywhere in London and Uber drivers there love them.
Kia EV6
Kia EV6 interiorKia EV6
The second of Kia’s EV fleet is the critically acclaimed Kia EV6, which won Wheels’ Car of the Year for 2022.
It looks like there’s some overlap with the Niro – and there almost is – but the EV6 is a totally different car. Kia is part of the giant Hyundai-Kia group and shares the Ioniq 5’s E-GMP fully electric platform. It’s an absolute ripper of a car no matter which one you choose, either the 168kW rear-wheel drive versions (Air and GT-Line) or the all-wheel drive GT-Line AWD with 239kW.
They’re not cheap but as we discovered at Wheels not so long ago, the EV6 Air is more than up to the challenge and – mildly controversially – beat the Tesla Model Y.
Not strictly and EV but the plug-in hybrid has an internal combustion engine as well as a electric power and a decent-sized battery. It’s only available in the most expensive GT-Line spec but if you need the range of a petrol car for the occasional long trip but generally just do city stuff most of the time, you would only ever use the petrol engine for the long stuff (unless you ran the battery flat).
I got nearly 50km off the battery in a soupy week in Sydney. Once it ran out of electrons, it reverted to a hybrid mode of operation, meaning a fuel economy figure of around 4.5L/100km. That is excellent going for a two-tonne SUV.
Nissan
Nissan is, broadly, the leader in EVs because they’ve been doing at scale for the longest time. A lot of folks forget that, crediting Tesla with making EVs mainstream. Tesla made them cool, Nissan just got on with the job of making them. The Leaf is made in Nissan’s Opama plant outside of Tokyo.
Nissan Leaf
The Leaf is a hatchback the size of a Corolla and is now in its second generation.
Nissan added a bigger battery, new styling and a revised interior for it’s second iteration. It’s a really good city car, with a range of about 250km-270km in 100kW basic form and nearly 400km in the 160kW version with the bigger battery.
The Leaf is not an excitement machine but the result of a lot of hard work from the Japanese company. It’s one of the few cars in Australia to feature vehicle-to-grid capability.
If you’re looking for a commercial vehicle, I understand that Nissan’s EV200 is on the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uEBxtGVqfA
My review of the second-generation Leaf
Audi
Audi has been faffing around with electrification for years. Concept car after concept car, there was even a very limited edition electric R8. After a long wait, we got the e-tron, which will be the first of many EVs from the VW Group empire. All Audi EVs sold here are built in Germany.
Audi e-tron
Audi e-tron 55 SUV (pre-facelift)
Audi’s first EV – well its first mass-produced EV – is the e-tron. Based on the MLB platform that spawns a number of Audis and VW Group cars, it’s a halfway house before any MEB-based cars arrive.
e-tron 55 SUV: $147,400
e-tron 55 Sportback: $158,400
The 55 is now the entry-level version of the e-tron in SUV and Sportback versions. The SUV is a more traditional shaped, well SUV. The Sportback is the same car with a racier rear end and a bit less boot space. Audi says you’ll get about 455km out of a charge, which isn’t too bad, and it does have fast-charging. I don’t mind this car – it’s big but very comfortable and looks and feels mostly like a normal car.
In 2023 the e-tron will be renamed Q8 e-tron and will have a bigger battery along with a facelift. The bigger battery is expected to push the range to 600km, but expect price rises.
The S arrived some time after the e-tron’s launch with a lot more power but a shorter range. While all e-trons are all-wheel drive (quattro in Audi-speke), the S has three motors for very rapid acceleration. The extra power and torque does eat into the range, however.
BMW
The German giant was early out of the gates with EVs, starting with the genius i3 city car and the i8 sports car. After a series of PHEVs in sedan and SUVs, the first of its mass-produced EVs started arriving in 2022. BMW’s current crop of EVs are all based on the company’s CLAR rear-wheel drive platform. BMW is working towards delivering a new electric-only platform known as Neue Klasse.
Like the Audi e-tron, the iX3 is based on an existing platform. The iX3 is barely changed from its X3 ICE version, with a few styling tweaks. The 74kWh battery delivers a claimed range of 460km but you’ll probably miss that by about 80km. It drives very well, has a great cabin and as of November 2022, the five year warranty expensive cars demand.
I like BMWs generally but really like the way the EVs drive. You also get five years’ subscription to the Chargefox fast-charging network, so your “fuel” is free if you’re close to a charger. The iX3 is made in BMW’s China factory.
As with the iX3, the i4 is based on the polarising 4 Series Gran Coupe. All 4 Series are excellent cars but adding electricity makes them really excellent.
The 40 is a rear-wheel drive “entry level” model while the 50i is an all-wheel drive sports car from the M Performance range.
They’re both great but not at all cheap. Softening the blow is a five year Chargefox subscription. Ignore the thing about the warranty in the below video, BMW has upped the coverage to five years.
The iX is the mid-point of the company’s journey from using existing platforms to using the all-new Neue Klasse platform. The early BMW EVs were kind of like that too, the i3 and i8.
This one is a big SUV with a big battery, either 71kWh (420km range) in the 40 or the dual motor 112kWh 50 (620km range). They’re brilliant cars, with a gorgeous interior full of clever features and materials. It’s not the greatest packaged car – despite its size the boot is “only” 500 litres – but it has presence and arresting looks.
Again, ignore the bit about the warranty, it’s now a five year deal. The iX, like the i4, is made in Germany.
Volvo – as everybody knows – is a Swedish carmaker going all-in on electrification. The company has two electric vehicles on sale in Australia, the XC40 Pure Electric Recharge and the C40. Both are built in Volvo’s China factory.
The XC40 is a well-established SUV that has been available in petrol and diesel variants over the years. It’s a great looking car and with SUV practicality, a winner for families. Like the Polestar, the range figures are a little on the squiffy side but still strong in the real-world.
Since its initial launch, Volvo Australia added a front-wheel drive variant. You’ll note I didn’t say “cheaper” because the company used the new model as an excuse to push the dual-motor version up in the $80k-plus range. Unlike the Polestar, all the safety features come out of the box (as you would expect) and it is a lovely thing to drive.
Volvo has 3650 of them for 2023, so get ordering if you want one.
The C40 is, um, more like the Polestar 2 but priced more like the XC40. All three are based on the same chassis. It’s complicated.
Anyway, the C40 is quite new and I haven’t driven it, so I can’t say much about it. Those who have driven it have said predictably complimentary things. Which is to be expected given it’s the third CMA-based EV.
The base model C40 Recharge is a front-wheel drive version with a single 170kW motor while the Twin has two motors for a total of 300kW. The official range for the former is 434km and 420km for the latter, but expect a miss given the XC40 and Polestar gaps.
Polestar is Volvo’s EV sub-brand, joint-owned with Geely Automotive who also own a large chunk of Volvo. It’s complicated. Also complicated is the fact that all Volvos will be electric in Australia by 2026. And eventually everywhere else.
You can specify and buy a Polestar online and slowly but surely brand centres (ie showrooms) will open. Right now, they’re hard to get a hold of because of high demand and low supply (November 2022).
The Polestar 2 is one of a number of EVs based on Volvo’s CMA platform. CMA was designed from the outset to accommodate ICE, hybrid and EV powertrains. It underpins the Volvo XC40 and C40.
Polestar 2 is like a high-riding five-door hatchback. The prices look attractive but the cars are missing some safety features that are part of the Pilot Pack. Since I drove it, the Pilot Pack has gone down in price to $3400 while the car itself is more expensive. Get the Pilot Pack, it’s worth it.
The range figures are also optimistic on all cars, but you can expect about 380km on the basic car and the dual motor. The long range car will squeak about 450km from a much longer claimed range while the standard range won’t make 400km.
They are great cars, though, despite having to option them up. The Dual Motor is an absolute weapon, even more so with the Performance Pack added with its adjustable Öhlins dampers.
I did speak to some Polestar 2 owners on Twitter. Russell Ivanovic, who also owns a Tesla Model 3, told me he gets 420km at a steady 100km/h. In the city, he’s getting 480km/h, which is better than I saw.
The Polestar 3 is coming next year to add to a rapidly range of production and concept cars.
BMW’s fun-loving M2 scores more power, more stuff and some added rarity for its final bow as the M2 CS.
Four and a half years ago I drove the BMW M2 for the first time. I was dead-set hooked. There is stuff we shot for that video that we couldn’t leave in because we were having far too much fun. BMW M cars weren’t that much fun at that point. The M4 Competition was good, but not like the car it replaced. And I’m not complaining about the engine (although that V8 was glorious), but it just felt a bit inert.
Then the following year I scared myself silly in the BMW M4 CS in left-hand drive around unfamiliar roads near Goodwood. The M4’s intertness had gone, replaced by the hilarity of its baby brother, the M2. Then I drove the M2 in 2018 again and its charm was completely undimmed. The M2 vs M140i side-by-side review on this site was massive, the video far and away the most popular we’ve ever done. Then I drove the M4 CS again on roads I knew. And loved it.
Why am I telling you all this? Because the M2 CS is the end of that road not just for me (and anyone who buys it) but for BMW. This M2 CS is going to go down as the last of the breed, running the spectacular S55 straight-six from the old M3 and M4. Carbon fibre bits, stripped out interior and a set of very sticky semi-slick Michelin tyres.
I don’t mind telling you I was absolutely champing at the bit to drive this car. So here we go. The BMW M2 CS.
Words: Peter Anderson Co-pilots: Mark Dewar, Blake Currall Images: Blake Currall
What is the BMW M2 CS and what do I get?
$139,300 + ORC
The M2 CS is the last of the old line of CLAR-based 2-Series before being replaced with what will surely be the last generation of petrol-powered M2, again on CLAR, but that’s about all we know.
You can choose between a seven-speed DCT (the car I drove) or a six-speed manual, with the DCT adding a hefty $7500 to the price. Still, at least it’s not fifty grand more than the “base” car which sells at $102,900 and $109,900.
Despite the lightweight approach suggested by the CS nameplate, you get a 12 speaker stereo, 19-inch alloys, air-conditioning (no climate control), remote central locking and keyless start, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, electric front seats, sat nav, LED headlights with active shadowing, leather and Alcantara trim, auto wipers, proper M seats and a tyre repair kit.
BMW OS 7.0 graces the big screen and you can use the iDrive rotary controller on the console or use the touch screen. Apple CarPlay is wireless but there doesn’t seem to be Android Auto on this version. The single USB port is at the rear of the console so you’ll have cables snaking about the place. You will, also, survive.
It’s not bare in here, but the minimalist look of the less complex air-conditioning reminds you that this isn’t meant to be your daily driver. This is an event car – the one you take for a drive, not the car you just drive.
Safety
The M2 CS has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, driver attention detection and that’s your lot. As a consequence, there are far fewer beeps and boops and the unseen hand of lane keep assist
There are two top-tether and two ISOFIX points in the rear, which is made up of just two seats.
Warranty and Servicing
BMW’s increasingly dreary insistence on a mere three years for its warranty (with unlimited kilometres) is looking ever weaker by the day. Mercedes has a five-year offering across the board and BMW is going to get lumped in with Audi the longer this goes on. Even Jaguar offers longer coverage.
The M2 CS does, however, fall into the BMW Basic Service Inclusions (BSI) packages, with a choice of Standard and Plus. Both cover a period of five years/80,000k, roughly translating to a 12 month/16,000km service interval, but that’s not how BMW works. $2995 covers the basics, working out at $600 per year (not bad, really) with the $8805 adding coverage for brake pads and parts, a clutch service and new wiper blades every 12 months.
I just wish the warranty was better and I’m sure you do too.
Look and Feel
People always look at the M2 but they really looked at this one with its bright blue paint (mandatory, in my opinion) and the $1000 option gold wheels. I think this thing absolutely looks the business. The front bumper is properly aggressive, with an evil set of headlights framing a blacked-out grille. The bonnet looks normal but as with the roof and various obvious bits of aero, is made from carbon fibre.
The fattened guards under which all the M3/M4 suspension and other go-faster bits look as beautiful as ever in that aggro kind of way. The carbon roof is unpainted and I’m begging you, don’t replace it with a steel-roof-with-a-sunroof because just no. Oddly this car looks a bit meek in white, especially from the rear (never its strongest angle), so it’s definitely colour sensitive.
The cabin, as I’ve already mentioned is a bit stripped back but not massively. The seats (from the M4 CS) are fantastic both to look at and sit in. The rear seats are not terrific to sit in because the front seats will crush your knees but if you have to, you’ll be snug and probably whack your head on the rear windscreen. As a CS, one wonders why BMW didn’t just fling them in favour of a helmet-friendly shelf or something similar. Because, let’s be honest, the M2 is going after some serious machinery that doesn’t bother with rear seats.
The centre console is just a slab of carbon fibre aft of the shifter, which looks good but reduces the available storage and there’s nowhere to put your elbow when you’re cruising. Or if you’re a passenger, you can’t brace yourself against it, although the seats mean you don’t have to worry about that so much.
The full-fat S55 straight-six delivers 331kW at a these-days dizzying 6250rpm and a properly scary 550Nm between 2350 and 5500rpm. The power figure betters the M2 Competition by 29kW while making peak torque available for an extra 300rpm.
The CS’s engine has an extra gear for ensuring the oil supply to the engine remains on track when you’re absolutely hammering it. New vents on the carbon bonnet get rid of the hot air trapped under the bonnet while helping suck more cool air in.
A new exhaust system with a switchable sound mode ends in four pipes to look like a proper M car, but tighter emissions regulations have robbed us of the theatrics of the older Competition spec cars.
DCT cars crack the ton in four seconds dead while the manual is two tenths behind. With the M Driver’s Package as standard, it will head off into the wide blue yonder at up to 280km/h.
Chassis
There’s a bit going on here. For the first time in the M2, you get adaptive M suspension. The other M2s don’t have it, making them marginal dailies unless you’re a masochist like me.
As before the suspension is cobbled together from M3 and M4 parts, with struts up front and a multi-link rear end with plenty of beef to make everything flat and fast. That lovely wide track remains, too, giving the M2 tons of street presence.
The massive front brakes measure 400mm at the front with six-piston calipers while the rears are a still massive 380mm with four-piston calipers. If you’ve got another fifteen grand lying about, you can splash out on carbon ceramic brakes. You probably don’t need them, just quietly.
The CFRP strut brace in the engine bay remains, looking good and keeping the two sides of the car apart more effectively, so stiffening the chassis for a better front end.
Between the rears you’ve got the Active M differential I fell in love with over a decade ago in the E60 M5. It’s a brilliant thing.
The 19-inch forged alloys come standard with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, 245/35 at the front on 9.0-inch width rims and 265/35 at the rear on 10.0-inch rims. You can delete these and have the M2 Competition’s Pilot Sport 4S which are better in the wet but you could also give yourself an uppercut. They’re fantastic tyres, but the Cups are the ones to have.
Driving
Okay, folks, take a deep breath. This thing is a belter.
While it doesn’t seem like a lot, the various bits and pieces added to the M2 CS spec – as well as the already impressive baseline – make it an absolutely colossal piece of machinery. And, curiously, much more liveable.
The liveability comes from the adaptive suspension. Being able to take a break from the buffeting of the stiffly sprung standard car means the drive back from the favourite road/track is much more pleasant and conducive to a lowering of the heart and adrenaline rates.
Having the comfortable option means you can drive it like a normal person, not trying to dodge potholes with a hyper-vigilance you might reserve for an Italian supercar’s low-hanging front end. You can take your significant other without the scoffing and whingeing at the ride comfort or lack thereof.
Annoyingly, when the car starts it defaults to a weird mix of sport settings for suspension and steering while putting the engine in (relatively) lazy efficiency mode. It’s not much fun to drive in that combination and it actually makes low speed manoeuvring really annoying because the twin-clutch still needs a good prod to wake it up from rest.
But you’re not here for the school run stories. You want to know what it’s like to point down your favourite bit of road. If you can’t be bothered reading on, here’s what I said to someone the day after I did just that:
“I now define my life as pre- and post-M2 CS.”Me, the other day
Now, obviously, that’s a bit of amusing hyperbole, but my giddy aunt this thing is wild. Not in a “gosh, what a handful kind of way,” in fact it’s the opposite. Those sticky Michelins not only tie the front end down with the help of that brilliant active differential, but they also conjure up extraordinary levels of grip.
You can feel your internal organs washing up on the insides of your ribcage when you’re cornering hard, the steering doing a reasonable job of telling you when the rubber is running out.
The MDM mode lets the car slip about while also delivering the kind of change of direction I previously only felt in the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Lotus Elise and Exige. A 220i is a fine thing, but there’s no inkling that you could make a sporty version of that same car dance on its spinning rears through a corner. And dance it does with such ease.
Feeling it move about on your way out of a corner, the tail waggling heroically as the Cup 2s wag their fingers at the 550Nm of torque, is legendary. The M2 feels much lighter than its 1550kg kerb weight and that engine never gives up, spinning to the redline without complaint or reluctance.
And like every twin-clutch BMW, the gearbox absolutely shines with fast, whip crack shifts that you can’t hope to replicate in the six-speed manual. In its most aggressive mode, the M2 cheerfully spins its wheels between shifts to remind you what it’s like to be alive and have a car more than happy to misbehave underneath you without killing you.
Redline Recommendation
I don’t even know if you can still buy one of these things. If you’ve the means and the motivation, get off the fence and order one, pronto. You’re going to get tired of hearing this, but we’re not going to have these sorts of cars for much longer, especially not bonkers straight-six, twin-turbo, rear-wheel drive sports coupes in such a small package.
The size is intrinsic to the fun, with a short wheelbase, extraordinary front and hilariously grippy rear end. The S55 is a true classic of mechanical engineering while the M2 CS will go down as one of the absolute greats. Not just a great 2 Series, not just a great M car, not even just a great BMW. It will go down as one of the best cars ever made. I’ll still be talking about this car on my deathbed.
The big British bruiser has landed with a tightened front end and vastly improved rear, new tech inside and service plans. Still a twin-turbo V8, still big, still fast.
The Bentley Bentayga, if I’m being honest with you (as I am always) is not my favourite fast SUV. Partly because I had never driven one until the low-key launch event but also because it didn’t seem to fit with the brand. As the car has settled into the automotive landscape, I find it less unappealing.
For 2021, Bentley has set to work on an updated Bentayga, raiding the Volkswagen Audi Group’s parts bin while also addressing what I personally thought were some of the car’s visual problems. Bentley wasn’t worried about what I thought, just quietly, but it’s nice to know we’re on the same page.
Interestingly, Australian buyers have not taken to the Bentayga the way I thought they might. Big fast SUVs are the playthings of the wealthy, with BMW, Mercedes and Audi all banking serious cash from its bigger – and biggest – machines. It seems Australian Bentley buyers remain in a global minority, preferring the Continental GT to the SUV.
Undeterred, the 2021 Bentayga has arrived.
How much is the 2021 Bentley Bentayga and what do I get?
Bentayga V8: $364,88 Bentayga V8 First Edition: $448,219
That’s some proper Bentley money right there. One thing you could never complain about now, or in the past, is the Bentley’s specification.
You get full matrix LED headlights with signature DRLs, LED taillights, powered everything, heated and cooled leather seats, wood trim, wireless charging for mobiles, digital dashboard, 21-inch alloys (with optional 22s and 23s), cooled glovebox, sat nav, multi-zone climate control, powered tailgate, auto wipers, air suspension and endless options and combinations for interior and exterior, plus wildly expensive Mulliner coach-building.
There is a new media system centred on the 10.9” central touchscreen with gesture control. The basic stereo is a mere 12 speakers or you can up your game to 20 speakers with the Naim for Bently option. The system also has DAB, wireless CarPlay, USB Android Auto and sounds excellent.
Warranty and Servicing Plans
Three years/unlimited kilometre warranty Three year service plan: $3950 12 months/16,000km service intervals
If I’m being honest, a three year/unlimited kilometre warranty on a $400,000 car is a bit weak, especially when highly-strung Ferraris ship with a seven-year warranty. Having said that, only Mercedes/AMG – arguably in a different category of car – beats it with a five year warranty and the mechanically similar Audi RSQ8 and Lamborghini Urus are also the same.
For 2021 Bentley has added service plans into the mix, with a starting price of $3950 for three years. Which is fine, I guess, given the kind of service you get from a Bentley dealer and it’s hardly a high proportion of the car’s original cost. You’re expected back at the dealer every 12 months/16,000km.
Safety
The Bentayga has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, reverse cross-traffic alert, around view cameras, reversing camera, rollover stability, forward AEB with pedestrian detection, side exit warning, two ISOFIX points and three top tether points.
Predictably, there’s not an ANCAP safety rating.
Look and Feel
After almost six years on sale, the Bentayga was in a need of a bit of a freshening. As Bentley itself says, the brand has “welcomed” a number of competitors in its space in recent years, while claiming it invented the premium SUV. Not sure what compatriot Range Rover would say about that, but that’s a popcorn moment for another day.
Bentley customers are less keen on chrome these days, so newer Bentleys will be a bit more understated in that area. Not to worry, the jewel-like new headlights should bring the bling and the new grille they frame is even bigger. But less imposing in black rather than traditional chrome.
The new bumpers are a bit more aggressive, the new wheels very attractive things are bit less *big* than before.
The rear is the most obvious change, with the big blocky taillights gone and a new tailgate with integrated elliptical lights to better sit in the Bentley range. I think it’s a vast improvement although the extra space afforded by the more petite headlights has been filled with big Bentley lettering. Not my bag, but I’m sure owners will love it.
Inside, well, it’s bloody lovely even if a bit dated. The new seats look great with the winged B sewn into the leather and the new screen lifts the technical feel. While it has a digital dashboard, it doesn’t do anything startling, but that’s not what Bentleys are for.
There’s a lot of VW Group switchgear, which isn’t a sledge – it all works – but some of the buttons are looking a bit old. Having said that, you’re not going for Peugeot avant-garde in here. It’s exceptionally comfortable, of course, and I’ll admit to loving the feel of the high end leather.
For wealthy kid-havers, there’s even a seven-seat version.
Drivetrain
For the moment, the Bentayga is still only available with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. Developing a colossal 404kW at 6000rpm and 770Nm between 1960rpm and 4500rpm, it’ll blow to 100km/h in under five seconds and on to a top speed of 290km/h. Which, if you’re wondering, is really fast.
The engine features cylinder cutout in certain circumstances to cut fuel use and has a 48-volt system to run various high-power applications such as the active anti-roll.
Chassis
It won’t be a surprise to know that given the tech list, engine and transmission, the Bentayga is related to various other high-performance SUVs from Germany and Italy, namely the Porsche Cayenne, Audi RSQ8 and Lamborghini Urus, so it’s all fairly promising.
The car is held off the ground by double wishbones at the front and a multi-link trapezoidal arrangement at the rear, with a 48-volt electric anti-roll bar to keep it flat in the fun stuff. The plush ride (in Comfort and B mode, at least) comes from self-levelling air suspension.
The giant brakes are 400mm front discs with six-pot calipers and 380mm discs at the back. If you fancy the carbon ceramics, the discs are slightly smaller but the front calipers squeeze with 10-pots. So they’ll probably be quite effective.
Despite some aluminium panels and plenty of aluminium throughout, it’s still a chonker at 2.4 tonnes. It’ll tow a massive 3500kg, though.
Driving
Look, it’s nice. We only got a short trip in the Bentayga as a sort of taster to a full review (coming up, I hope) but it was certainly terribly pleasant pootling in traffic, accelerating to 80km/h off the lights like a damn hooligan and in Comfort mode shrugged of the concrete nastiness of Sydney’s Foreshore Road.
TL;DR: need more seat time, which I’ve been promised.
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Matt Bird
Ted Welford
Iain Curry
Autoblog Staff
