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It’s not quite got the wow-factor of the BMW iX1 or the Peugeot E-3008, but it’s fairly smart to look at. Better still, there’s a simple row of physical climate-control buttons sitting beneath the main infotainment display. Materials and build quality Audi’s perceived quality has taken a dip in form from its high point around 10 years ago, and the Q4 is one of its cars that doesn’t quite live up to the lofty standards that built the brand’s reputation. It’s not shoddy by any means, but the E-3008, iX1 and even the Skoda Enyaq from VW Group stablemate Skoda feel…
Conversely, we’d expect a drop-off in winter, too. At our recorded efficiency, the Spring is capable of a real-world range of 134 miles. Dacia quotes a range of 140 miles on the WLTP combined cycle, which rises to 190 miles in the urban cycle. Given its size, purpose and range, the Spring is best suited to a buyer who can top up at home, so the fact that its rapid-charge speed hits only 30kw is not a huge issue. It hit its advertised speeds whenever we did use a rapid charger, and officially, a 20-80 per cent top-up takes 45…
Even when that runs out, it will be possible to top up at 7p per kWh; based on the 3.3mi/kWh efficiency we achieved when we tested the car in the chilly early spring, that means 10,000 miles of driving would cost £212. Factor in warmer summer months when efficiency improves, and that cost should fall even lower. A petrol car averaging 40mpg and fuelled at £1.40 a litre would cost £1,591 over the same distance. But all this doesn’t compensate enough for the fact that the Tavascan is very pricey to buy. Electric range, battery life and charge timeOur 3.3mi/kWh…
The interior overall is somber but not bare, simple but not spartan; material quality feels good. It’s surprising to see heated, ventilated and messaging seats in such an affordable electric car – there’s even an electric tailgate. Nio’s cars get a small circular display atop the dashboard solely for the googly-eyed avatar for their own virtual assistant, Nomi. The Firefly does without that (featuring an on-board virtual assistant powered by ChatGPT) and instead has a simple tablet mounted onto the dashboard, with another small display behind the steering wheel. It’s a pretty clever set-up. For starters, there’s Apple CarPlay and…
We aren’t fans of the glossy black trim that surrounds the gearlever and infotainment control wheel, these are frequent touchpoints so it’s likely to get scratched easily. Overall, the quality of the plastics and soft leathers used inside is great. Infotainment, sat-nav and stereoOne particular highlight of the cabin is the control wheel that can be used to operate the CX-30’s touchscreen. You can use either the wheel or the screen, but we found the display to be a bit of a reach away (especially if you’re tall and have your seat set back), so it makes more sense to…
Audi has long been known for fast estate cars. Over various generations, the likes of the RS 4 and RS 6 have offered mind-bending performance with space for the whole family – plus the dog – to enjoy. Now, Audi has dipped its toe into the waters of high-performance estates with an electric twist, thanks to the new Audi S6 Avant e-tron. While there’s no fully blown RS model (yet, at least), the on-paper specs of the S6 show promise for fast wagon fans. After a series of electric SUVs that haven’t troubled the front runners in their respective classes,…
Summer has arrived and one could argue the coolest thing about our Vauxhall Grandland is its light-up front badge, which, I must admit, has grown on me over the past couple of months. But it’s the car’s air-conditioned cool box that’s proven to be most useful on longer trips; the centre console offers lots of space and has been the custodian of drinks, sausage rolls and even a tub of ice cream. Vauxhall Grandland Electric GS: first reportThe Vauxhall Grandland Electric is set for a tough test over the next six months on our fleet Advertisement – Article continues belowOne…
Aston claims 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds – seriously impressive for a rear wheel-drive car – with the same 202mph top speed. With the hood down the Roadster’s weight distribution is 49:51 but with it up that switches to a theoretically perfect 50:50: the same as the coupe. Inside, the Roadster benefits from almost the same gorgeous cabin and fine driving position as its sibling, with the ergonomics and infotainment both hugely improved compared with its predecessor. Except in this case Aston has listened to its critics and increased the font sizes for the digitised instruments, making them far easier…
Is bigger always better? Not necessarily, especially if you want a folding electric bike that you’ll need to lift into the boot of your car. This is one of the reasons we have always liked the MiRiDER One, because it is compact enough to fit into most luggage spaces – and lighter than the average holiday suitcase. Advertisement – Article continues belowBut the tiny 16-inch wheels can mean it feels a little compromised on faster roads or rougher tracks, so MiRiDER has launched a new version with 20-inch wheels that has increased stability. Although not as compact, the MiRiDER…
Buy now from Halfords Draper 28815 12V DC-AC Inverter 400WPrice: around £62 Connector type: battery clamps Ports: USB-A and BS 3-pin Rating: 4 stars Contact: drapertools.com Draper’s 400W unit is compact and smart, and if it were a little cheaper, it would have been in with a chance of being the winner here – that’s worth considering, because there are sometimes very good deals online. It’s not the most powerful unit but we like its safety features, which include a reverse-polarity indicator, overload alarm and low-voltage indicator. The detachable battery clamps also feel well made and, being the…