Category: News

Efficiency. It’s a bit of a buzzword at the moment, with manufacturers all pitching against one another to make their cars as clean and as efficient as possible.

However, there are ways to drive more efficiently too, without having to buy a new car. A few simple tips and tricks are all it takes to help save fuel, and help save the environment too.

Prepare your car for the journey
Remove roof racks, top boxes – and make sure your tyres are correctly inflated

Realistically you should be checking your car before you set off anyway, but giving your vehicle a once-over can help when it comes to efficiency. The tyres are the crucial part of this. Ensuring that they’re inflated to the right pressure makes a world of difference with regards to fuel economy, as well as helping during cornering. It increases wet-braking efficiency, too.

If your car has a roof rack or top box then make sure these are removed (providing you’re not planning on using it, of course), and plan out your journey beforehand – motorways and A roads are routes where you can achieve a more consistent speed, therefore using less fuel.

Watch acceleration and braking
Smooth pressure on throttle and brakes make for more efficient progress

Smooth acceleration and braking is crucial being efficient. Hard on the gas and the engine has to work hard too, in turn increasing consumption and emissions. Bringing the car to a slow and steady stop helps too.

Not only that, but it’ll reduce the wear and tear on components on your car – so everybody wins.

Turn off unused electronics
Additional systems, like air conditioning, drain power and reduce efficiency

Electronic systems sap energy from a car, so switching them off helps drastically when it comes to overall fuel consumption and efficiency. Air conditioning is a particularly energy-heavy system so if you can, switch it off.

Stick to the speed limit
Keeping to speed limits reduce engine revs, and lower consumption

Speed limits are there for safety reason, but they help when it comes to overall vehicle efficiency too. Keeping to the limits leaves your car at lower revs (in most vehicles) and it’ll protect your licence too!

Avoid driving when possible
Taking alternative means of transport is the ultimate way of helping efficiency

It sounds simple, but avoiding driving and taking alternative forms of transport is the only way to really optimise your efficiency. Cycling, walking or taking public transport lowers emissions, and can sometimes be cheaper or quicker than getting behind the wheel, too.

When it comes to the great names in motoring, there’s just a handful that can truly take place on the pantheon of legends.

There’s the prestigious Ferrari nameplate that anyone on the planet recognises, the symbol of Americana in the Ford Mustang and the immediate impression of luxury that comes after hearing ‘Mercedes-Benz’.

Up among the best though is a real beast from the east. Think four circular taillights, fire-breathing straight-six engines and supercar-scaring performance. If you hadn’t guessed it, or haven’t read the headline, we are, of course, talking about the Nissan GT-R.

‘Godzilla’ (as the model is now affectionally called) is celebrating 50 years since its inception. Though now it’s seen as a big, brash sports car — its origins are rather humbler. Let’s take a look at where it came from.

1969 — the birth of an icon

A little-known fact about the Nissan Skyline is that it was once, and to this day remains, very much a humble family saloon car. Originally conceived in 1957 as the Prince Skyline before the firm merged with Nissan in 1966, the car was in its third generation by 1969.

At the time, Nissan was finding moderate success on the racetrack with its R380 sports car racer, and wanted to showcase some of this motorsport pedigree in its road-going machines. Thus, the Skyline 2000 GT-R was born.

Sitting underneath its sleek bodywork was a 2.0-litre inline-six engine, sending 160bhp to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox. It was pretty spartan in its approach to performance — with a basic interior compromising of little more than bucket seats and a three-spoke steering wheel, though the addition of a limited-slip differential and disc brakes up front put it, mechanically speaking, at the cutting edge for its time.

Just 1,945 examples of the ‘Hakosuka’ Skyline (the nickname taken from the Japanese word ‘hako’ for box, and ‘suka’ — used as an abbreviation of Skyline) were produced between 1969 and 1972 — though popularity led to a successor…

1973 — a difficult second album

Though the Skyline 2000 GT-R had previously been sold as both a saloon and coupe, the second-generation model moved exclusively to a two-door style when it arrived in 1973. Though using the same ‘S20’ six-cylinder engine and five-speed gearbox, the car was enhanced with all-round disc brakes, a sophisticated semi-trailing ring arm setup and improved aerodynamic additions.

The ‘Kenmeri’ Skyline — later applied to the car after a popular advert for the car involving two young characters named Ken and Mary — improved on the ‘Hakosuka’ in every way except for the crucial one. Sales.

With an oil crisis hitting the globe, the second 2000 GT-R never took off — resulting in just a year of production, and 197 units produced. It would mark the start of a 16-year absence for the GT-R.

1989 — awakening a sleeping giant

By 1989, Nissan was struggling on the race track. Its Group A Skyline GTS-R racer was uncompetitive in its class, with the likes of BMW’s E30 M3 and Ford’s Sierra RS500 dominating the global stage. The Japanese firm wanted to be back on top, but it was clear its current, and ageing, racer wouldn’t be the one to make that happen.

It went to the drawing board with the mindset of producing a car that could dominate Group A racing — but nobody surely could’ve predicted what was to come.

The R32 Skyline was born, and sitting at the very top of the bunch was the return of the GT-R. While its predecessors were famed for their spartan approach, it was the incredible levels of technology the R32 packed that would ultimately shoot it to fame.

Under the bonnet sat the legendary RB26 — a 2.6-litre, twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, sending its power via an incredibly trick all-wheel-drive setup. The slickly-named ATTESA ET-S system was the most sophisticated of its kind at the time, designed specifically for motorsport use.

Though it added weight, unbelievable levels of traction allowed the racing version of the car to effortlessly dump in excess of 600bhp to the tarmac below it — allowing it to obliterate the competition. It won all 29 races of the 1989 Japanese Touring Car Championship and held the title from that year right up to 1993 — while making its name on the global stage thanks to consecutive Bathurst 1,000Km wins in Australia in 1991 and 1992, plus victory at the 1991 Spa 24 Hours. It’s this racing success that led to it gaining the nickname ‘Godzilla’.

The road car was no slouch either. It had the same tech as the racer, although power was officially rated at 276bhp as a result of a gentleman’s agreement in Japan that saw manufacturers limit performance to this at maximum — though, in reality, it produced in excess of 300bhp. With countless variations and special editions, the R32 GT-R had well and truly announced the return of a legend — and over 40,000 examples had sold by the time production came to a halt in 1994.

1995 — hitting new heights

Though the R32 had re-established an icon, it was beginning to age and Group A racing had just come to an end — resulting in an end to the GT-R’s dominance on the track.

The success of the production model meant Nissan was keen for a replacement though, resulting in the R33. It may have taken on a radically-different look – growing in size and having notably more aggressive aero — but under the skin, things were pretty similar.

Its RB26 engine carried over practically unchanged — save for a strengthened oil pump drive collar — and the ATTESA ET-S system was here yet again, though with the addition of an active limited slip differential on V-Spec units.

The result was a car that was again monumental to drive at the limit — but in the eyes of many, it wasn’t enough improvement over the R32. Many lambasted it for its extra 100kg of weight without a real boost in power, resulting in the car being somewhat unloved in comparison.

Nissan wanted to enter Le Mans with the R33 and to do it needed to homologate a race car for entry. So, it did exactly that with the GT-R LM — and we mean ¬¬a, with only one built. This single rear-driven machine is now hidden away in a warehouse in Japan owned by the firm and boasts a race car-esque bodykit.

By now, the GT-R had risen from being a Japanese-special to reaching global fame — resulting in the R33 becoming the first of the breed to be officially imported to the UK, albeit in very limited numbers. That said, the nameplate was about to reach arguably its most iconic phase…

1999 — fast, furious, and heading for greatness

For a certain generation of car enthusiasts, there are two things that have likely played a role in their petrolhead status — PlayStation classic ¬¬Gran Turismo¬ and the blockbuster film series The Fast and The Furious¬.

Though the two are remarkably different — one claiming to be ‘The Real Driving Simulator’ and the other shamelessly an over-the-top action film series — they both have one big thing in common. The iconic Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R.

This was the Skyline GT-R in its ultimate form. The RB26 engine had been refined and tweaked to its peak point — officially still producing 276bhp, though realistically that output was a lot closer to 400bhp than 300bhp. Furthermore, the ATTESA E-TS system had been perfected, and in ultra-desirable V-Spec form had an ultra-grippy Pro system.

Though special on its own, it was its appearance in Gran Turismo 2 and 2 Fast 2 Furious that shot the powerhouse to global legendary status. In the PlayStation game, it was a cheap, powerful base for players to obtain early on before fitting with an array of go-faster bits to dominate almost everything else in the game. As for the film, it was the ride of choice for undercover cop Brian O’Connor, played by the late Paul Walker, for the iconic opening race — seeing O’Connor take victory in the silver and blue, nitrous injected beast, but not without jumping across an opening drawbridge in the process.

These two platforms paved the way for many a young enthusiast, and with the R34 at the helm of both, it’s no surprise to see its global admiration today.

Following the R34’s end of production, Nissan made the decision to spin the Skyline name off into a new, luxury-focused model, signalling the end of the GT-R nameplate again. For now…

2007 — the supercar killer

By now, the Japanese sports car bubble had burst. The Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evolution had arguably reached a peak, while the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 had long been dormant. It seemed like the days of screeching, turbocharged monsters from the Far East were over — until Nissan came along again.

In 2007, it unveiled the long-anticipated GT-R, the first of an entirely new model. It was no longer just a Skyline, rather a powerhouse designed to create an all-new legacy — and it did just that.

Doing away with the RB26, Nissan utilised a 3.8-litre ‘VR38’ V6 engine, producing 474bhp in its base form now the 276bhp ‘gentleman’s agreement’ had been swept under the rug. It was sent through a hugely advanced version of the Skyline’s ATTESA system. This translated into mind-boggling performance, with a sub-4-second 0-60mph time — though more impressive was its circa. £50k price tag, hugely undercutting the Ferrari F430, Porsche 911 Turbo and Audi R8 of which it was faster than all. Better yet, it was the first GT-R to be sold globally.

This was now a real supercar killer out of the box and quickly gained a reputation in the aftermarket community for its performance potential — with tuners able to take the car well beyond 1,000bhp. Godzilla had returned.

Though the GT-Rs before it saw only a short amount of time in production, the most recent GT-R reached a decade on the market by 2017. It amazingly remains on sale today too, 12 years on from its introduction. Nissan even teamed with Italian design house Italdesign to create a limited-run 50th-anniversary model that features bespoke bodywork on top of the proven R35 running gear.

2019 — a hybrid powerhouse?

Though the R35’s days don’t quite yet seem to have an end, rumours of a replacement model have begun. Its shoes to fill are without a doubt huge, but Nissan has done it before so it’s hard to argue against it doing it again.

It’s likely hybridisation will play a huge role here, taking performance to a whole new level — hopefully with a trademark straight-six engine to create a real monster on the road and the track. Whatever form it takes, it’s clear the GT-R nameplate isn’t going away anytime soon. Here’s to 50 more years…

Leaked information suggests a sale of struggling Jaguar Land Rover to French automotive group PSA could be imminent.

It is understood a “post-sale integration document”, which outlines the benefits of the two companies joining forces, is already in circulation and the firms are exploring the detail of cost saving benefits after a tie-up.

A spokesman for PSA – owner of Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Vauxhall – told the Press Association that the firm was in “no hurry” to make acquisitions and could “stand alone”.

However, despite denying the rumour, spokesman Pierre-Olivier Salmon added: “We are generating the cashflow necessary to pay for our future. If an opportunity comes, like Opel (Vauxhall), we will consider it.”

PSA chairman Carlos Tavares has made no secret of his desire to either merge or acquire struggling UK-based luxury car manufacturer JLR.

During an interview with Autocar India in April, he said he believed it would be good for PSA to have a luxury brand and that the company was “considering all opportunities”.

Both companies have denied the latest rumours, but sources inside JLR have told the Press Association that despite public statements, “things are moving quickly behind closed doors”.

One insider, who has seen the integration paperwork, said: “To have a document like this in circulation at the two firms points to the fact things are very far down the line with either a sale or acquisition.

“Just look at how close the two firms are in the UK – the two head offices in Coventry and Gaydon are just 25 miles apart and both firms make cars in the UK. There are plenty of ways the two companies could save money by working together.”

Automotive industry expert Professor David Bailey of the Birmingham Business School believes the tie-up could be a good fit for both brands.

He said: “PSA said last month it was interested in acquiring JLR but [its owner] Tata publicly ruled out a sale. Tata shareholders’ patience may be wearing thin, though, given recent JLR losses. A partial sale may be an option.

The 80s. In car-terms, it was a time of big arches, wide bodykits and out-there decals. It was also a period which saw the launch of the hot hatch, and also some of the greatest supercars we’ve ever seen.

Nowadays, these icons still get the heart of many a petrolhead beating a little quicker. Fortunately enough, 80s cars can be found on a decent budget – £15,000, in our case. Let’s see what’s out there.

Ford Capri MK3

There are few ‘everyday’ 80s cars quite as iconic as the boxy Ford Capri. The third-generation model in particular (as it was the one built during the 80s) brought a slice of Americana to UK streets.

It was an affordable way to get into a muscle car-style two-door, and decent examples can be fetched for under £15,000 too – though prices are climbing every day.

Mitsubishi Starion

The market for Japanese sports cars of the 80s and 90s is skyrocketing right now as nostalgia begins to hit millennials with money to burn. Though the likes of a Toyota Corolla AE86 or Nissan’s Z-Cars were once available for pennies, rising prices have seen them exceed £20k and skyrocket above that for the tidiest of examples.

That said, some sports machines from the Far East have managed to slip under the radar, for now at least, and the Mitsubishi Starion is one of those. Though it had all the typical 80s boxy styling and boasts of affordable performance, stronger lust for the likes of the Ford Capri, Toyota Supra and other sports coupes of the era has seen the Starion often overlooked. Though examples rarely come up for sale, this does mean that when they do they can be had for a relatively reasonable fee of around £10k for clean examples — and it’s likely that’s only heading up.

Peugeot 205 GTI

The dinky little Peugeot 205 GTI was one of the first proper examples of a small, French hot hatch. It was initially offered with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, which was later bumped up to a more powerful 1.9-litre – but this was a car more about cornering than outright pace.

Prices are surging upwards on these though, so while examples can be found for under £15,000, we’d advise to get your hands on one now, if you can.

BMW E30 3 Series

Boxy and almost perfectly proportioned, the E30 BMW 3 Series is surely one of the most iconic cars of the 1980s. Built with a variety of different engines, from small-capacity petrols to fire-breathing units in the high-end M3, the E30 3 Series really was all things to all people.

Now we’ll be the first to admit that you’re unlikely to find an M3 for our £15,000 budget, but you’ll easily bag yourself a good example of a lower-powered model.

Volkswagen Golf GTI MK2

The original MK1 Golf GTI was a tough act to follow, but somehow Volkswagen managed to do just that with the MK2. A little bit larger, but no less engaging, the MK2 was a firecracker to drive – and most people wished that Volkswagen hadn’t changed the formula so much with the MK3.

Prices for these are rising, so get your hands on one while they’re under our budget.

Renault 5

Renault has always been pretty adept at making small city cars, and the Renault 5 hit the nail on the head yet again. Light and nimble yet efficient, the 5 has gone down as one of the all-time small car classics. It did spawn performance versions – the Renault 5 Turbo was a particular highlight – but unfortunately these far exceed our £15,000 budget now.

You’ll be able to pick up a regular model for within our price ceiling, though watch out for rust – the 5s are incredibly susceptible to it.

Porsche 944

“It’s not a real Porsche”, many purists would scream — but they are wrong. Ok, so the 944 never quite hit the heights of the 911, but it certainly offers an engaging driving experience while looking monumentally cool. Its lack of popularity has seen values plummet though, meaning a well looked after example can be comfortably had for under £15k.

Mercedes-Benz SL

Mercedes SL models have, throughout their lifespan, been some of the prettiest models the German manufacturer produced. The late 80s drop-top was arguably one of its most brash thanks to square, blocky styling and a real ‘look at me’ attitude.

Mini

It’s hard not to call the Mini anything but iconic, isn’t it? Small but undoubtedly characterful, the Mini represents urban mobility at its very best. By the 80s the Mini had evolved, but still kept true to its dinky roots.

Again, like many cars on this list, prices are rising – so we’d advise to grab one while you can.

Mazda MX-5

Introduced in 1989, the Mazda MX-5 only just sneaks into this category — but it’s a worthy inclusion. The widely-loved sports car nailed the low weight, low power, maximum fun formula since day one, going on to carve itself out as a legend.

Though older tidy models are much harder to come by today thanks to notorious rust problems, the fact they’re easy to modify and that many have simply been crashed, they still remain fairly reasonable value — with the best examples still not quite at the £10k mark yet. This is another case of a car only appreciating though, and quickly at that, so it might be best to jump on the wagon while it’s still just about in town.

Car security is an issue which affects all motorists. Various tips and tricks can help ensure your vehicle is as safe as possible, whether you’re parking it on the drive or on the street.

A recent poll of 2,079 UK car owners has revealed that one in five motorists don’t use any security precautions on their car, while 43 per cent don’t even pull the door handle to check that it’s locked.

The research, revealed by Halfords, also showed that 42 per cent of people leave car ownership documents in their car, and 43 per cent don’t attempt to hide their keys at home.

However, security expert Michael Fraser has presented some tips on how to make sure a car is a safe as possible – and ways to deter thieves from even attempting to access your vehicle.

Keep your car tidy

Making sure your car isn’t strewn with belongings is a sure-fire way of making your car less attractive to thieves. Remove valuables from the vehicle, and make sure that there’s nothing to catch the eye of passers-by.

It’s also a good idea to remove loose change from any cubbies or bins throughout the car, too.

Use dash cams with motion sensors

Dash cams have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years – and they’ve fallen in price too. Fitting one means you’ve got an eye on the car at all times, and most are activated by motion, too.

It means that should a thief approach your car and attempt to gain entry, the camera will spring into life and record anything that could happen.

Turn your wheels into the kerb

Turning a car’s wheels towards the kerb may sound like a recipe for damaged wheels, but it’s actually a simple and very effective way of stopping a thief. It means that should they access the car – and are able to start it, too – they’ll have to perform a manoeuvre in order to get away from the kerb.

It takes two seconds to do, but could slow down a thief’s escape considerably.

Don’t rely on factory-fitted systems

Though factory-fitted security systems are an initial line of defence for most vehicles, they’re sometimes not enough to stop intruders. Extra processes can make things even safer.

A wheel lock, for instance, provides an instant deterrent for thieves and proves to those looking inside the car that some extra protection has been fitted.

Keep your keys safe

Your car’s keys are easy to snatch in a break-in, and with new ‘keyless entry’ technology, easy to intercept signals from, too. To make things safer, it’s best to place them in an RFID wallet, which blocks the signals sent from the keys and prevents thieves from intercepting and using them to access a vehicle remotely.

Just make sure it’s locked

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But just checking that your car is actually locked can make a difference. A quick pull of the handle could make all the difference – and it only takes a second, too.

What is it?

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to the new Ford Ranger Raptor, quite a lot. It just sounds good, doesn’t it? Ford has jam-packed its new range-topping pick-up with top-notch off-road tech to ensure it’s as capable on the rough stuff as possible, and more than able to live up to that rather evocative nameplate, too.

It’s also accompanied by a punchy new diesel engine, and a list of standard equipment which far eclipses that found on any of the ‘standard’ variations of the Ranger. We’ve headed out to Morocco to see how it gets on.

What’s new?

The Raptor has been developed by Ford Performance, which is behind some of the firm’s best performance-orientated models – as you’d expect, given the name. It means that though the Raptor shares its platform with the regular Ranger, it’s been beefed-up by some margin. The chassis is reinforced, and uses high-strength steel, while the track has been widened and the ride height lifted – the Raptor sits 51mm higher up than the regular Ranger XLT.

Fox — the company behind some of the best off-road suspension systems on cars, motorbikes and downhill bicycles — has also had a part to play. Its dampers have been used on the Raptor, endowing it with huge amounts of shock absorption — ideal for intense off-road environments. The regular Ranger’s leaf springs have been chucked too, replaced by coils for a far better ride.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Raptor makes use of Ford’s latest 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine. Performance-wise, it’ll crack 0-60mph in 10.3 seconds, before charging on to a 106mph top speed – figures which, we’ll admit, aren’t that impressive on paper. Economy figures are acceptable; Ford claims 31.7mpg combined, and CO2 emissions of 233g/km. It also uses a 10 — that’s right, 10 — speed automatic gearbox, meaning that theoretically, there should be a gear for near enough every situation. It can be controlled via titanium shift paddles, too.

Of course, the Raptor also features a range of off-road driving modes, including a Roll Mitigation Function, Trailer Sway control and Hill Descent Control.

What’s it like to drive?

It’s best to think of the Raptor as a performance car for all terrains. So, you’d expect it to eat up every type of surface thrown its way — and boy, does it achieve this. At low speeds, it initially feels a little jarring, but throw some pace its way and the Raptor simply floats over any track, and any obstacle. We tested it on some serious Moroccan routes, and it simply hammered through everything we could throw at it. Sure, other trucks may be able to conquer the same thing — but they wouldn’t be do it half as quickly, nor with such little drama as the Raptor.

We’d like a touch more power, perhaps, but the 210bhp doesn’t leave the Raptor feeling overly short-changed when it comes to punch. The 10-speed gearbox is our only sticking point; there are simply so many cogs to choose from that it can, at times, feel a little lost — and heavy boots of acceleration see it raking through several gears in quick succession just to make decent progress.

How does it look?

Big, bold and just a little imposing, the Ranger Raptor is a pick-up which is hard to miss. The front grille draws inspiration from the one fitted to the American-only F-150 Raptor, and the rest of the truck looks more Los Angeles than Luton in terms of design.

In the metal it’s a very impressive thing. While large decals would be a little brash on other cars, for the Raptor they make sense — this isn’t a car for the shy and retiring.

What’s it like inside?

Inside the Raptor you’ll find a pretty standard interior. The sports seats are bolstered but not overly so, and while there are some harsher plastics used throughout, everything feels as if it’s been built to stand up to whatever abuse you can throw at it. It’s not a hugely exciting cabin, but all the key components are well made. The driving position is good too, and there’s plenty of adjustability to be found.

Whereas other manufacturers are starting to adopt screens to replace the main instrument binnacle in front of the driver, the Raptor uses a pair of simple dials – with a smaller screen in between. They’re clear and easy to read, and they suit the character of the truck too.

What’s the spec like?

As we’ve already alluded to, the Raptor features an impressively comprehensive list of standard equipment. In addition to all of the off-road mechanical upgrades, it boasts 17-inch alloy wheels shod in chunky all-terrain tyres, while bi-xenon headlights and LED front fog lamps feature at the nose of the car.

Ford Ranger Raptor in Morocco today. So far handling everything we can throw at it pic.twitter.com/tnJUT8Gvrd

— Jack Evans (@jackrober) May 1, 2019

There’s also Ford’s latest Sync 3 infotainment system, and it’s one of the best ones from the firm yet thanks to clear, intuitive layouts and easy-to-read fonts. It may not be quite as sharp as rival operating systems, but it’s not bad at all. The elephant in the room is, of course, the price. At £48,784 it’s expensive, but thanks to this hefty list of standard tech, it appears far better value-for-money than rival pick-ups.

Verdict

Recommending the Raptor is a tricky thing. On the one hand, it’s one of the most accomplished pick-up trucks we’ve driven when it comes to outright, go-anywhere ability. The way it conquers dunes, gravel tracks and severe inclines with such little drama is nothing short of mind-boggling.

But on the other hand, how often do you find yourself transversing a towering sand dune in the UK? In a similar vein to other cars we’ve seen recently (Suzuki Jimny, we’re looking at you), this is a car which is a fundamentally niche product, but one which we’d gladly grab the keys to – simply for the way it makes you feel. Get behind the wheel of the Raptor, and we’d put money on you thinking the same.

Facts at a glance
Model: Ford Ranger Raptor
Price: £48,784
Engine: 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel
Power (bhp): 210
Torque (Nm): 500
Max speed (mph): 106
0-60mph: 10.3
MPG: 31.7
Emissions (g/km): 233

Britain’s electric vehicle revolution is being hampered by a “bottleneck” in global battery production, as demand far outstrips supply of zero-emission vehicles.

An investigation by the Press Association found that some dealers were telling customers they could be waiting more than a year if they placed an order for an EV today, with some manufacturers confirming they couldn’t guarantee the number of vehicles coming to the UK in the future.

Kia and Hyundai appear to be the worst affected, with the former’s e-Niro and latter’s Kona and Ioniq Electric experiencing 12-month-plus wait times.

Jaguar, Tesla, Nissan, Smart, Audi and Volkswagen are all also experiencing delays with their electric vehicle offerings of between two and five months.

A Kia spokesperson blamed global demand and battery supply, calling the e-Niro “a victim of its own success” and adding that the South Korean firm’s 2019 UK allocation of about 800 cars sold out within two weeks of going on sale in January.

He said: “The simple fact is our battery suppliers cannot make battery packs quickly enough for the demand, and if we haven’t got battery packs, we cannot sell the cars.”

Both Kia and its sister company Hyundai said they were taking reservations for 2020 deliveries and would contact interested customers once pricing and delivery time frames were clearer.

Simon Moores, managing director of lithium-ion battery specialist Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, confirmed there was a bottleneck in the production of the high-quality batteries needed for electric vehicles.

He said: “Not all lithium-ion batteries can be used in all electric vehicles. There are quality and scale issues at play, and they don’t usually go hand in hand.

“Western EV makers need the highest-quality lithium-ion batteries for a multitude of reasons, including safety, range and longevity. The surge in EV demand in the past two years has meant that tier one battery producers – such as Panasonic and Tesla, LG Chem and Samsung SDI – are playing catch-up.

“Global capacity of tier one lithium-ion battery supply is still an issue, but we are seeing a shortage in the quality and quantity of key raw materials, especially graphite anode at present.”

Tom Callow, director of communication at EV charge point supplier BP Chargemaster, said supply delays should become less of an issue in 2020 as new EU emissions targets applying to manufacturers come in.

“We are undoubtedly seeing demand outstrip supply for electric vehicles in the UK at the moment,” he said.

Elsewhere in the market, Volkswagen confirmed wait times for the e-Golf were nearly four months. The e-Up, however, remains unavailable to order because of long wait times, but should return “later in the year”.

In 2018, the German manufacturer stopped taking orders for the Passat GTE and Golf GTE plug-in hybrids because “unprecedented demand” had put factories at full capacity. The electrified Golf remains on hold, while a new Passat GTE goes on sale soon.

A Renault dealer quoted wait times of up to five months for the Zoe, but a spokesperson for the manufacturer disputed it, saying it’d expect even an order with “a very particular specification” to be delivered within two months. Meanwhile, the Twizy remains unavailable for order while production moves to a new factory.

The typical wait time for an electric vehicle is about three months – quoted for cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Audi e-Tron Quattro, Jaguar I-Pace and BMW i3.

Nissan said: “We are seeing very strong demand for both the Leaf and e-NV200, and we continue to try and secure production allocations that match our customer demand.

“However, across Europe and globally there is also strong demand.

“For Leaf we have reasonable supply but depending on variant the lead time will vary.”

A BMW spokesman said “production and delivery times can vary” because the company offers “a range of built-to-order options in order to make their vehicle truly their own”. However, lead times for the i3 “are in line with expectations for a build-to-order BMW”.

This week, Tesla opened its UK configurator for the Model 3 – the firm’s new entry-level EV. It claims deliveries should be less than two months from an order being placed, however, UK customers who placed deposits when the car was first revealed have been waiting three years for right-hand drive models to become available.

Tesla says deliveries of the Model S and Model X could take up to three months, and estimated delivery times are shown on the company’s website.

A Tesla spokesperson added that because the cars are built in the US, it factors in a transit time of “around six to eight weeks”.

What is it?

Another day, another new SUV from the VW Group — and this time we’re looking at its smallest yet. This the Volkswagen T-Cross, the firm’s assault on the compact SUV market.

Based on the firm’s MQB platform, it’s similar in size to its Polo hatchback — coming in at 55mm longer and 97mm taller respectively — and sits below the T-Roc in the range, which itself has become Europe’s class best-seller since its 2017 launch.

With tough competition from the likes of Nissan’s Juke and Mazda’s CX-3, plus the imminent rival of the Ford Puma, it’s going to have to be special to emulate that success.

What’s new?

This is an entirely new model from the brand, and one spawned from the T-Cross Breeze concept shown in 2016 — though that car was a convertible, unlike the eventual hardtop version.

Though fresh to the range, it does take a healthy amount of parts from the breadth of the VW Group catalogue — namely its choice of 1.0 TSI petrol engines, DSG gearbox options and wide array of safety and luxury gizmos on offer. Notably absent at launch is a diesel engine option — though one is available on the continent, and VW UK hasn’t ruled out bringing it over later down the line.

Driving the funky little VW T-Cross today. Good day for it, too. pic.twitter.com/Vb8HMV0VAh

— Ryan Hirons (@RyHirons) April 30, 2019

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering our test car is the 1.0-litre petrol engine in its most powerful form. Producing 113bhp and 200Nm of torque, which here is delivered to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. It covers the 0-60mph sprint in 10 seconds flat and can go on to a 120mph top speed. As for efficiency, Volkswagen claims this unit can return 48.2mpg on the WLTP combined cycle while emitting 112g/km in CO2.

This powertrain setup has to be the pick of the bunch. The engine is punchy and offers just the right amount of power for the car, while its slick gearshift and well-weighted clutch make it a breeze to operate. Its lower-output sibling just lacks the crisp edge of the more powerful option, and its DSG alternative feels comparatively sluggish.

What’s it like to drive?

The T-Cross is designed first and foremost for the city, and that’s where it excels. A combination of light steering, compact dimensions and excellent visibility results in a car that’s perfectly at home when navigating concrete jungles — and softly-set suspension allows it to absorb speed bumps and potholes without an issue.

Its strengths as a city car do prove to be its downfalls elsewhere, though. At speed on the UK’s bumpier back roads, its ride is akin to driving a slab of jelly — wobbling about all over the place and not inspiring too much confidence as a result. Road noise is also prominent when cruising along, though the supple suspension at least makes it comfortable on motorways.

How does it look?

It’d be easy to accuse Volkswagen of making a range of cars that are quite boring to look at, though with the T-Cross it’s managed to inject a bit of funk into the design — more so with its exterior.

Though about the size of a Polo and very mechanically similar to one, you wouldn’t guess a direct relation from the design alone — save for the keen-eyed who may spot a side strike directly taken from the hatch. Up front, a gaping grille brings it in line with the rest of VW’s SUV range, while toward the back a concept car-like look is created with a huge light bar transcending the boot.

With our money, we’d look toward to more creative end of the T-Cross’ palette of colours. The design is best exposed in eye-catching ‘Energetic Orange’ and ‘Makena Turquoise’, and admittedly looks a bit dull in more conventional shades.

What’s it like inside?

Things are very in line with the typical Volkswagen norms inside. A boxy cabin design features, with good quality materials deployed for the steering wheel, switchgear and other points of contact throughout the cabin. Search hard and it’s easy to find some scratchier plastics, though these are confined to areas drivers are likely to never interact with so can be forgiven.

As for space, five can be seated comfortably — particularly when the sliding rear row is taken advantage of, creating as much as 14cm of extra legroom, though it’s not lacking in the first place for a car of this size. The T-Cross also boasts 455 litres of boot space when the rear seats are moved forward, putting it comfortably ahead of the Mazda CX-3’s 350-litre and Nissan Juke’s 345-litre capacities.

What’s the spec like?

Pricing for the VW T-Cross begins at £16,995, making it one of the most expensive in its class, for an entry S model. It’s quite light on equipment, with the only noticeable additions being 16-inch alloy wheels and an eight-inch infotainment display with Bluetooth support plus DAB radio. There is, however, a generous helping of no-cost safety equipment such as automatic post-collision braking, automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assistance.

Tested here is the SEL trim, which brings with it LED headlights and daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Options ticked here include Reflex Silver metallic paint (£575), 18-inch alloy wheels (£540) and VW’s Active Info Display Technology (£375), bringing the cost of the car to £20,795. It’s a high price to pay, especially as it’s not even the range topper — that honour belongs to R-Line models, starting from £22,695.

Verdict

Volkswagen is on to another hit in its ever-more successful SUV range with the T-Cross. It blends style and practicality into a package that’s perfect for the city, which is where these cars are destined to spend a good chunk of their time on the road — and perhaps for the best when its poor refinement elsewhere is considered. A decent amount of safety equipment as standard is a positive too, although we’d like to have seen some of that generosity extend further into the luxury bonuses thrown in the package.

Facts at a glance

Model: VW T-Cross SEL
Price: £20,795
Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder
Power (bhp): 113
Torque (Nm): 200
Max speed (mph): 120
0-60mph: 10 seconds
MPG: 48.2
Emissions (g/km): 112

There’s a reason hatchback cars are so popular, and that’s because they offer a little bit of everything. You’ll find a healthy dose of practicality in them, but without being big and intimidating to drive. On top of that, they usually come in any combination of fuel type, engine size and transmission you might desire.

But when it comes to ownership, something many buyers in the market might overlook is whether they should opt for a three-door or a five-door. While some cars are only available as one or the other, many give you the option of both — so it’s worth thinking about what your needs are and how they would be best served here.

But before we get into how to choose, a quick word on something you might be wondering – why the odd number of doors? It’s mostly just manufacturer-speak that has stuck in the mainstream. A five-door actually has four traditional doors, while a three-door just has the two at the front. The fifth and third doors in the name refer to the bootlid.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, here are the advantages and disadvantages of three- and five-door cars

Space – five-doors have more room in the back

Typically, you’ll find that the space in the rear of a five-door is very close to that of the three-door. However, because three-doors tend to have a sportier design, they can have sloping rooflines that eat into headroom, or smaller windows that let in less light and make rear passengers feel more claustrophobic.

You’ll also find that because accessing the rear seats is so much easier in a five-door, you’re more likely to actually use the space. So, while it might not technically be larger, it is in a more practical way.

Access – five doors makes it easier to get in and out

When it comes to access, five-door cars have three-doors beaten again. If you carry more than one passenger on a regular basis, a five-door becomes the obvious choice.

Furthermore, if you have young children and regularly need to put them in the back, reaching through between the seats of a three-door will quickly become tiresome and could put a lot of strain on your back.

Another advantage comes into play if you’re carrying something large that requires you to fold the rear seats flat. Shimmying it into a three-door could be a pain, but if you can open the rear doors then it’s much easier to shift into place.

One point in favour of three-doors though is that the doors tend to be larger, so getting in and out of the front seats can be easier. Though bear in mind this can make it tricky to open them in tight parking spaces. Swings and roundabouts…

Price – more doors means more cash

The three-door might look like it’s starting to fall behind in this fight, but when it comes to the impact it has on your wallet it starts to claw some points back.

If you don’t have any inclination towards either option, or you’re happy you don’t need the extra practicality, you can typically save a few hundred pounds by opting for a three-door over a five-door. It could be a simple way to shave a little off your monthly repayments.

Looks – three-doors are usually better-looking

Again, if the practicality of a five-door isn’t essential, you might be swayed by the fact that three-doors typically look better.

This is particularly true on smaller cars, where designers and engineers have a tough time cramming four doors into a small frame. However, if they only have to fit front doors, there’s more freedom to be creative, often leading to a sleeker window design or sportier, sloping rooflines.

Use – think about what the car needs to do

The final decision comes down to how you’ll use the car. If you tend to carry more than one passenger or you need to regularly get to the back seats for any other reason, a five-door will make your life much easier.

However, if it’s just you and maybe one other person in the car, and you’re confident you can put up with a bit less practicality, opting for a three-door could save you a bit of cash and give you a better-looking car as a result.

60 years on from the debut of Alec Issigonis’s industry changing design, the various owners of the brand and external companies have spawned countless hardcore versions of the Mini.

These are the best fast Minis produced across the six history making decades of the model that went on to become a brand in its own right.

Mitjet Mini Pikes Peak

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has long been a hotbed for some of the more unhinged vehicles on this earth, especially since the iconic mountain road was fully tarmacked ahead of the 2012 edition of the race.

The switch away from gravel meant that a whole new breed of car could take on ‘The Race to the Clouds’. One such car was the 900bhp, Nissan GT-R-powered Mini Pikes Peak, built by French outfit Mitjet.

That year, the car finished third in the hands of company founder and racing driver Jean-Phillippe Dayraut. And, even though the car didn’t take victory, it will almost certainly go down as one of history’s most insane Minis, even if it likely only shares a badge with the road-going hatchback.

Mini All-4 Racing

A four-wheel drive rallying Mini? Not such a unique thing, as we’ll discuss further down this list, but this is the most successful of them.

Winning the famous Dakar Rally four years in a row – two of which came with event legend Stéphane Peterhansel at the wheel – this is one of the most successful racing vehicles of the 2010s.

It has a 320bhp engine that delivers 800Nm of torque, but it’s rugged durability that wins you the Dakar, and this vaguely Countryman-shaped bespoke racer had that in spades.

Mini John Cooper Works GP Kit

The last of the MK1 BMW-built Minis featuring the potent supercharged 1.6-litre engine that powered all of this generation’s performance variants, the 2006 John Cooper Works GP is still one of the quickest as-standard hot Minis ever.

It was 40 kilos lighter than a regular Cooper S, and had the added bonus of 215bhp. Just 2000 were built, meaning that the GP is as rare as it is powerful.

Mini Marcos

Based on the subframes and running gear from a Mini, the sweeping, petite Mini Marcos was a true sportscar underdog. As with the Marcos manufacturer as a whole, this car has a cult following in the UK and beyond.

The ultimate showing of its determined grit came at Le Mans; while all the headlines were stolen by a commanding victory for Ford and its GT40 in 1966, the Marcos managed to cross the line in 15^thplace, and was the only British car to finish the race that year.

Mini Countryman WRC

A sadly short-lived project, the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman WRC was built by rally experts Prodrive, who had previously been responsible for Subaru’s lineage of world-conquering Imprezas. The Countryman boasted all-wheel drive and nearly 300bhp.

Sadly, the relationship between BMW and Prodrive quickly soured over funding, and by the end of 2012, its days as a competitive force in the World Championship were numbered, just a year on from its debut. A second place in Monte Carlo at the start of 2012 was the high water mark for the project.

Mini Clubman Vision Gran Turismo

‘Built’ in the virtual world for the Gran Turismo racing game, this is probably the closest thing we’ll ever see to a rival to the Ford Focus RS from the Mini brand.

The Clubman Vision Gran Turismo was designed as a race car, featuring 389bhp, a curb weight of just 1,050 kilos, and a 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds. While it will likely never leave the Playstation 3, it is certainly an exciting vision.

Mini Cooper S (Rally)

In the early days of rallying, before four-wheel drive cars were the norm, nimbleness and reliability were extremely important for rally cars, particularly at more challenging rallies such as the Monte Carlo.

In the ‘60s, the Mini dominated the rally in the Riviera principality, taking victory in 1964, 1965 and 1967. The plucky little cars also took a 1-2-3 finish in 1966, before a trivial headlight regulation saw them disqualified.