It's rare in life to have had as varied a career as Jodie Kidd. From being one of Britain's most recognisable 90's supermodels to fronting the male-dominated world of motorsport, Kidd has done what very few before have even attempted, swapping catwalks for cockpits and proving that you're never too late to pursue your passions.

And passionate, she is: she's loved cars since a young age, admitting when we chat to a childhood obsession with Ayrton Senna. In later life, a chance encounter with none other than Jeremy Clarkson changed the course of her career - and the rest is history.

Below, she chats about her life in motorsport - on her early years in the fashion industry, the scepticism she's faced in a male-dominated industry, and her drive to champion the next generation of female talent. Plus, she deep dives into her passion for electric vehicles, and the role she reckons they're set to play both on and off the track.

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Jodie Kidd: "I’m hopeful we’ll find a female Formula 1 racer who can compete alongside the boys."

What’s your earliest motorsport memory? What first got you interested in it?

Watching Ayrton Senna race in Formula 1. He was a big part of our lives. My nephew has Ayrton as his middle name; that’s how obsessed with him we were. He was definitely my earliest memory.

What was the moment that made you realise you were ready for a career change from modelling - and how did you know motorsport was the way to go?

I decided to stop modelling after around a decade of a wonderful career in the industry and accidentally fell into motorsport by taking part in the Gumball Rally.

Through doing that, I had a chance encounter with Jeremy Clarkson, which led to him inviting me onto Top Gear. I did the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ lap, went to the top of the leaderboard and fell in love with cars and racing from that moment onwards.

Are there any similarities between the worlds of modelling and motorsport? What are they and how do they compare?

They’re very different, but high adrenaline is a strong similarity in both. It sounds strange, but you get the same adrenaline walking down a catwalk as you do when racing cars.

What makes EVs in particular so important to you?

They’re the future and a necessity in order for the world to evolve - we can’t be living off petrol and crude oil forever. Some of the cars are fantastic, and you can get some incredibly quick cars with extraordinary power, so it ticks that box.

I just love the ease and the feeling I get from driving one! They're so smooth, and you can drive anywhere in them, whether it’s a short or a longer drive, especially as I recently learned that there are more than 118,000 public chargers now – nearly twice as many as fuel pumps!

I recently worked with the Department for Transport (DfT) to showcase the vast UK charging network. I curated my own electric road trip from Land’s End to the Angel of the North and found chargers at the most beautiful, unexpected places. You stop, charge up, take in the view, and you're back on the road.

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about EVs in motorsport?

I wish more people realised the extent to which EV motorsport is driving technological progress off the track. Series like Formula E and electric off‑road racing show that EVs can be competitive, durable, and exciting, not just environmentally friendly.

As E racing is growing, so is the demand for EVs in the real world – in March this year, the UK’s EV market achieved its strongest performance to date. Registrations of EV's reached an all-time high with the highest monthly total ever recorded.

Even in Formula 1, the increasing use of hybrid battery technology has significantly changed how cars are designed and raced, and these innovations are slowly filtering into everyday road cars. EV motorsport isn’t just entertainment - it’s actively shaping the future of vehicle technology.

What challenges have you faced entering a very male-dominated sport? How have you overcome them?

It’s been difficult because when I started racing, it was the 90s and early 2000s when there were very few women racers. Thankfully, this is something that has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. At the time, however, for me, it was tough because people didn’t take me seriously -especially as I had come from a modelling background. It’s fair to say that it isn’t the norm to see models go from fashion week to pit lanes. When women were initially spotted on race tracks, it was as a spectator, and when my career started, it was incredibly rare to see women in race overalls. It was definitely tough, but I got over it and showed the world that women can race too.

How has the industry changed over the last ten years?

Dramatically! We’ve seen women come to the forefront in engineering and in running F1 teams, such as Claire Williams. There’s even now an all-female race series, so it has undeniably come on leaps and bounds in the last ten years.

What do you hope the future of motorsport looks like?

I’m hugely optimistic. It seems that everyone is obsessed with Formula 1 now; it’s become huge! I’m hopeful that with the amount of intrigue, we’ll find an amazing woman Formula 1 racer very soon who can compete alongside the boys.

What would your advice be to young women who dream of a career in motorsport?

There are so many more routes into motorsport now for women, whether that’s engineering, design, or the racing itself. You just have to stay driven and keep putting yourself out there. Despite the fact that there is now far more opportunity, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy; setbacks are inevitable - but that’s part of it. The important thing is not to let the setbacks define you. Take the negativity, turn it into motivation, and use it to push yourself forward. If you keep working hard and keep going, the opportunities really are there.

Volvo's best-selling car, the iconic XC60, has sold over 2.7 million times worldwide - and for good reason. The vehicle is well-loved internationally; the safety features are second to none, the design is world-class, and - when eco-consciousness is a key motivator for drivers to switch to electric vehicles - it has introduced excellent hybrid models.

But now, Volvo is taking on a new challenge entirely: combining the magic of the iconic XC60 with the energy efficiency of their first fully electric model, the EX30. The result? A car that is sleek, safe, and promises to make driving an electric vehicle easier than ever before. Enter: the EX60.

The new model, which was unveiled in Stockholm earlier this year, is built on Volvo's most advanced technology base, SPA3, which allows for 810km of driving on a single charge; an impressive advancement from its predecessor, with a charge time of just ten minutes. According to the team at Volvo, just 19 minutes of charging increases the battery from 10% to 80%.

With regards to the safety features, the EX60 also boasts exceptional sensing and software which engages a dual-monitoring system tracking both internal and external conditions. The manufacturer's award-winning Driver Understanding System is able to detect micro-changes to the driver's focus, due to tiredness or distraction, and effectively offer functional support. And, further ensuring all passengers safety, the multi-adaptive safety belts also offer personalised protection for those in the front seats based on size, body shape and seating position, while simultaneously gauging external safety and pre-emptively offering protective measures ahead of potential collisions.

Embodying Volvo's heritage and commitment to Scandinavian design elements, the EX60 is also impressively chic; think natural materials alongside six illumination themes, including a forest light projection that simulates natural sunlight, as well as light-adjustable panoramic roof and Volvo Cars’ latest air purification technology.

Considering that the EX60 is now Volvo's lowest carbon footprint for a fully electric car, it could just be the deciding factor in making the very tempting EV switch.

Here to make your car-buying journey smoother, we look at the latest launches in the auto world, cutting through the jargon to bring you everything you need to know.

A frontrunner for stylish, accessible electric vehicles, the latest launch completes PEUGEOT's 12-strong EV collection—the most extensive of any mainstream car brand in Europe.

Following the release of the plug-in hybrid model in 2022, the new E-408 retains the same sleek fastback silhouette and coupe-inspired design, but this time it's fully electric. Don't let the streamlined shape fool you, though: this is a capable, powerful car. With 210 horsepower and a range of up to 281 miles, it's designed to handle longer journeys just as comfortably as everyday driving.

As PEUGEOT works towards becoming a fully electric brand, the E-408 marks an important milestone. Here's everything you need to know about the new model—and why it could prove to be one of the brand's most appealing EVs yet.

Style

PEUGEOT describes the E-408's design as distinctly 'feline', with fang-shaped LED headlights, the brand’s signature three-claw LED tail lights, a sculpted 'cat's ears' boot lid and sleek, flowing contours. Compared to the seven-seater PEUGEOT E-5008, the E-408 has a noticeably sportier feel.

Design details include large 19-inch graphite alloy wheels with a geometric finish, adding to the car's on and off-road presence. When the 408 first launched in 2022, it was widely seen as a model that broke the mould, blending a sport, almost feminine profile with the raised driving position of an SUV—earning it the nickname 'crossover coupé.

The E-408 continues that approach, sitting comfortably within a new wave of EVs that prioritise both design and practicality.

Tech

Inside, PEUGEOT's i-Cockpit, a core part of the brand's design and technology strategy, creates an immersive, driver-focused experience. A 10-inch touchscreen display sits within easy reach, while the 'OK PEUGEOT' voice control system allows drivers to access information hands-free, from tourist tips for an upcoming destination to news updates and entertainment (particularly useful if you're driving with children.

The integrated trip planner is useful for longer journeys, using a range of factors such as route distance, starting battery charge, desired charge level at the destination, speed, energy consumption and traffic conditions to help plan charging stops more efficiently.

Comfort

This one is a dream to drive and operate, as it was designed with everyday comfort in mind. The battery is positioned beneath the car’s underbody between the wheels, which creates more interior space while lowering the centre of gravity for improved handling and a smoother ride.

A slightly elevated driving position improves visibility, while a curb-to-curb turning radius of 11.2 metres makes the car easier to manoeuvre in urban environments.

The i-Cockpit layout also places key information at eye level just above the steering wheel, creating a more intuitive driving experience. The 10-inch display is fully customisable, with built-in GPS and map update —handy for fans of intrepid impromptu adventures where it's easy to get lost.

For colder mornings, heated seats and a heated steering wheel add an extra layer of comfort.

Power

This is a powerful car, with an impressive 210hp (157kW) motor and a range of up to 281 miles from its 58kWh high-voltage battery, making longer journeys much less stressful.

Range anxiety has long been a concern for EV drivers, but with models like this offering increased range and improved planning tools, travelling longer distances is becoming increasingly straightforward. The integrated trip planner helps map out charging stops in advance, whether you're heading across town or embarking on a longer drive.

The charging tech is quick, with fast DC charging up to ~120 kW and built-in battery pre-conditioning to aid efficiency (this means your battery is heated or cooled to its optimal temperature before charging).

Anything else?

The new PEUGEOT E-408 is available in five colours: Okenite White, Obsession Blue, Selenium Grey, Elixir Red, and Nera Black. Buyers can choose between two trims—Allure and GT.

For added peace of mind, the E-408 is covered by the brand's Allure Care Warranty for 8 years or 100,000 miles.

Price

The PEUGEOT E-408 starts from around £42,175 for the Allure trim, with the GT version priced from approximately £44,945, depending on specification.

Buyers should note that government incentives for electric vehicles are subject to eligibility criteria and price thresholds, which may affect final costs.

If I were to tell you that a car made me feel sexy, you might nod along. If I were to tell you a car made me feel more confident, you might think that was a little trivial. And if I were to tell you that a car actually made me feel powerful, you might suggest I work on my inner self. "True confidence comes from within" is a line I would have annoyingly recited back to anyone who shared those same sentiments with me, after all. But two days behind the wheel of a Ferrari and I now wholly understand the so-called supercar effect—and it’s one you really do have to feel to believe.

The location: the North Coast 500, a famous 516-mile circular route carved into the northern Highlands of Scotland. The set-up: roof down, sunglasses on, music blasting. The car: a classic, glossy red Ferrari Roma Spider—“Spider” simply meaning convertible in Ferrari terms—with rich red leather interiors, every mod-con imaginable, and an undeniably sleek silhouette that tackled (admittedly small) potholes and speed bumps far more gracefully than I expected. Essentially, a picture-perfect scene for my first experience behind the wheel of a £210,000-plus car. It’s easy to see why I was sold in an instant.

Yet it wasn’t just me who was captivated by this car. Thumbs up, headlight flashes and turning heads became a regular occurrence as we drifted through the small Highland towns en route—proof, if ever I needed it, that a Ferrari evokes something in all of us, be it wonder, lust or even mild envy. Still, while the Roma Spider was undeniably the star of the show, I couldn’t help but wonder whether it was us, the drivers, who were also drawing attention.

According to Yahoo Finance, around 94% of supercar consumers were male as recently as 2019—a disparity that is slowly but unmistakably shifting. In 2023, automotive outlet Torquecafe reported another major supercar brand attributed 11% of its global sales to women. And Bloomberg noted in the same year that if you spot four Ferraris on a street in China, chances are at least one is being driven by a woman. In other words, the landscape is changing. Women are interested in performance cars, and with the number of ultra-wealthy women increasing globally, they’re beginning to invest accordingly.

Inside our Roma Spider, we were living proof of that. Beside me sat Cat Roberts, a luxury-car content creator, Formula E racer, and encyclopaedia of all things supercar-related. Behind us, in a Ferrari 296 GTS, was Emma Walsh, supercar commentator and presenter. And a little further up the road: Chloé Lloyd, in what many are calling the ultimate super-SUV—the Ferrari Purosangue.

If practicality is the point holding you back from being sold on a supercar— the need for extra child-friendly space, a sturdier, higher driving position, or room for suitcases, food shops and all the detritus of real life—this is the model that answers all of it. And as a lover of big cars myself, it was the Purosangue that I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel of.

As the brand’s first-ever four-door, four-seater car, it houses an extraordinary V12 engine, meaning it’s blisteringly fast while still offering all the virtues of an SUV: height, space, stability and an effortless ability to handle long distances and unpredictable terrain. I can personally attest to all of the above after whipping through the Scottish countryside, hitting impressive speeds, hugging tight coastal corners, emergency-braking for the occasional rogue sheep and doing it all with a six-foot-plus cricket player in the back seat and our luggage tucked neatly in the boot. A sight you certainly don't see everyday.

Essentially, it’s the more rugged, everyday-friendly sibling to your typical sports car—speed bumps, suitcases, and car seats are no longer your natural enemy. Although, of course, that extra space, size and versatility come with a premium price tag of £313,000 and above, making it a fixture on the wish lists of ultra-high-net-worth individuals—women, increasingly, included.

So, with every potential need now catered for, let's see if Purosangue purchases will put us more on a level playing field.

"In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, I believe the real strength lies in knowing when to pause," says Nicole Melillo Shaw, managing director at Volvo Car UK. Of course, she’s absolutely right. But carving out time—and reminding ourselves that it's actually important—to pause can be far easier said than done. So, Volvo and Melillo Shaw, alongside journalist Natasha Bird, launched a summit with a dual focus on power and pause—offering meaningful insights into how to balance both. And when a woman who oversees billions in annual sales (while also raising a family) speaks about how she balances it all? You listen.

"Part in parcel of what it means to be a powerful woman having a successful career is also finding pause, balance, time to recharge, so that what we end up doing ends up being just as sustainable as the EV cars that we drive," says Bird. And there it is—that good old ‘S’ word: sustainable. Not in the environmental sense, but in terms of a life that’s actually liveable—where burnout isn’t the price of success.

Importantly, pause doesn’t always mean sinking into a sofa with your go-to box set. While this can offer momentary relief, but it’s also about emotional recalibration. "It’s so important to take that step back and have a bit of reality check about what you’re doing," says Melillo Shaw. Her personal tip? Reflect on the day’s highs and lows. In a particularly tough patch at work she hilariously summed up the issue to her eight-year-old as: "I didn’t sell enough cars today." It put the problem—and her stress—into perspective.

But Melillo Shaw hasn’t reached her position by pausing alone. "The thing that stuck with me most is to not have limitations. I wouldn’t be here having this fantastic opportunity if I put any limitations on what I was going to do next," she explains. "If we can all think like that then the world becomes bigger, the opportunities become more, and people would be more fulfilled." Once you’ve rested and reset—it’s time to think big.

So where do cars come into this conversation? Volvo has long been synonymous with dependability and chic Scandi design, but now it’s going a step further. "At Volvo Cars, we design cars like the EX90 not just for performance, but to create space for wellbeing—for quiet, for safety, and for intentional living," Melillo Shaw says.

Launched earlier this year, the all-electric, seven-seater EX90 is Volvo’s most premium car to date. But at its heart lies a surprisingly simple idea—that strength comes from this balance of power and pause—it's the only way to keep any momentum going sustainably.

The Volvo EX90 is available now with prices from £82,660

If I were to ask you to name six sexy car brands, Volvo might fall behind some of the swanky F1 names and Italian engines, but allow me to try and change your mind. Because, when it comes to cars, nothing is sexier than safety—and I say this as someone with a real penchant for luxury (and often incredibly impractical) fashion. Does anyone want to borrow a micro bag that doesn’t fit a phone? Or perhaps a balloon-heeled shoe?

Yet what brought on this sudden attitude shift involved quite an adventure. Picture minus fifteen degrees, miles of snow-packed roads, and a speed test around a frozen-over lake in—you guessed it—a Volvo. But not just any Volvo. This was the brand’s newest launch: the Volvo EX30 Cross Country, a small but powerful SUV designed with Scandi minimalism in mind. Think chic, compact and all-electric, with the rugged edge of a car that could handle a snowstorm or a central London car park.

Now, if you’re used to UK weather like me, ice driving may never have crossed your mind. Our soft dusting of snow hardly calls for studded tyres, after all. Yet, a whip around the M25 was obviously not enough of a challenge to showcase all the impressive safety and sleek design features of this compact car. So, to Sweden we went to really put it through its paces. And that we did, all from the comfort of heated seats, no less.

It was during these hair-flying, steering wheel-clenching, nervous laughing moments that the Volvo EX30 Cross Country really showed me what it was capable of. Or, more importantly, what I was capable of now that I had a new trusty steed. A steed that is packed with clever safety features, all housed in sleek Scandi design, so it actually felt rather calm inside.

There’s a special off-road driving mode, underbody skid plates and increased ground clearance to help you tackle tough terrain with confidence. On more familiar roads, it uses advanced driver assistance systems including a lane keeping aid, collision avoidance and an automatic emergency brake system that monitors for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians—even in low visibility. Plus, for city life, there’s even a door opening alert that lets you know if something’s passing before you swing your door out—fear of knocking someone off their bike, begone.

Despite its size, the Volvo EX30 Cross Country can also get up to some serious speeds. The fastest version, the twin motor performance, can go from 0 to 62mph in just 3.7 seconds. Plus, an all-wheel-drive setup makes light work of icy hills, rainy roundabouts, and everything in between. And because it's fully electric, there's no engine noise—even though it’s capable of an impressive 295.8-mile range and rapid charging that gets you from 10 to 80% in just over 25 minutes.

Looking at the outside, it’s available in five colourways: cloud blue, crystal white, onyx black, vapour grey and sand dune—my personal favourite. Beige lovers, unite. Then, bringing a tougher edge to the all-road vehicle, there are chunky wheels, contrast cladding and the option to add a roof rack for those really keen to explore. Inside, it’s sleek and modern, with a minimalist touchscreen that replaces the old-school button panels.

But, adrenaline ice driving aside, how does a Volvo hold up in everyday life? I asked biologist, wildlife filmmaker and Volvo ambassador Lizzie Daly, who’s one of the Volvo EX30 Cross Country’s biggest fans. “I'm not exaggerating when I say my Volvo has been with me to all the wild corners of the UK,” she says. “I have watched spectacles such as starling murmurations and orca hunting from my windscreen, and its warm seats have brought me back to life after multiple night dives in freezing Scottish lochs,” she adds, proving the car really is up for anything—routine school run included. Although the orca hunting sounds a little less mundane than rush hour traffic.

Plus, of course, as with all things Volvo, sustainable practices form the base of every decision, a key reason why Daly loves the label. “My impact on the planet is at the top of my mind, and Volvo as a brand shares that ethos, which you can see in every little detail of the EX30 Cross Country,” she notes. Delving deeper, she adds, “the interior design uses sleek yet sustainable materials like Nordico—a leather alternative made from bio-based and recycled ingredients—and the whole business runs on climate-neutral manufacturing, which is no small feat”.

So, if you’re after a car that can handle daily life—whether that be ice driving, deep sea diving, or simply just a weekend stroll in the park—be sure to consider the Volvo EX30 Cross Country as a serious contender. Safe and sexy never looked better together.

Keen to try? Prices for the Volvo EX30 Cross Country start at £33,060. Head to the Volvo website for more information.

Here to make your car purchasing journey smooth, we look at the very best launches in the auto world, cutting through the jargon to give you everything you need to know.

The new PEUGEOT E-5008 is an SUV that prioritises space. It comfortably seats seven passengers—that's an entire netball team and their kit bags.

Building on the success of the five-seater E-3008, this offering from PEUGEOT is the zero-emissions version of the Peugeot 5008. With attractive features such as a floating wrap-around screen for navigation and entertainment and stylish grey interiors, this has a distinctly pared-back Scandi feel.

PEUGEOT is committed to becoming a 100% electric brand, and the new E-5008 marks a new dawn for large-scale EVs—the E-5008 is the only model in its segment to offer 100% electric mobility for seven passengers. With two trims, the entry-level Allure and the more advanced GT, it's an accessible choice for a large-scale SUV.

The ‘Electric 210’ is the first of three versions of the E-5008, which features a 73kWh battery and 210bhp (break horsepower—a good overall indicator of power and acceleration) front-mounted motor. Later this year, the brand will launch a long-range variant, the ‘Electric 230’, which has a powerful 98kWh battery, meaning it can travel 415 miles on a single charge. Next year, we will see the launch of the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive ‘Electric 320’—the most powerful version of the E-5008 with 315bhp.

Style

Yes, the priority has been placed on comfort and interior spaciousness, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deliver in the style stakes. With its slightly boxier shape, the E-5008 still has a streamlined silhouette with concealed window fastenings.

The E-5008 has a strong presence on the road thanks to its larger dimensions (length: 4.79 m, width: 1.89 m, height: 1.69 m), offering height for the driver and passengers—meaning it's easier to take in those countryside views.

Inside, there are some standout design features, with the latest iteration of PEUGEOT’s i-Cockpit being one of the most impressive. The 21-inch curved screen provides an immersive experience without crowding the area, while ambient LED lighting under the screen accentuates its 'floating' effect.

The E-5008 is available in six colours for the exterior: Obsession Blue, Ingaro Blue, Okenite White, Pearl Black, Artense Grey, and Titanium Grey. Two-tone paint with a shiny black roof is standard on the GT version.

Tech

The evolution of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit has led to the brand's most impressive touch screen yet. We've already mentioned the sleek and immersive design; tech-wise, the functionality is top-notch. It's super responsive and controls the heating and air conditioning, navigation, media and connectivity systems.

"OK, PEUGEOT" natural language voice recognition is also a touch that provides access to infotainment, heating and air conditioning functions, and your phone—a godsend for long drives alone.

The Allure and GT models have a similar spec regarding tech. Still, the E-5008 GT, notably, comes with PEUGEOT's new Pixel LED technology as standard, automatically adapting the headlights to traffic conditions to prevent dazzling other drivers.

Comfort

The E-5008 excels in comfort with generous interiors. At 4.79 m in total length, it is one of the larger seven-seater SUVs on the market. Five passengers have ample leg room (or room for luggage, if you're a pack-it-all for the weekend kind of person). The back two seats are more suited to children, teenagers, or adults for shorter journeys, as the leg room is lacking. However, with its generous interior dimensions, the E-5008 still offers more room than many of its rivals on the market.

The car also offers a huge, flat floor area when all the rear seats are folded down with two metres of loading length—ideal for camping trips or moving. When the seats are up, there's still a large boot for storage and extra storage room under the third row.

What sets the E-5008 apart is how comfortable the journey will be for all passengers. The backrests of the seats in row two have a reclining feature with five positions, while the Easy Access system means passengers can easily access the third row. Special care has been taken regarding the thickness and softness of the cushions and the height of the backrests and headroom, with long drives in mind. The cushions also feature comfortable contouring and high-density foam for a comfier car nap. Perfect for the adventurers among us.

Power

The entry-level E-5008 (available in Allure or GT) can cover up to 310 miles on a single charge. Some testers noted it doesn't quite have the rapid acceleration of other EVs, even in Sport mode. Yet the 9.7-second 0-62mph time is still pretty speedy for a 2.2-tonne SUV.

The E-5008 is available with three electric motors (210 hp, 230 hp long range, and 320 hp Dual Motor 4-wheel drive) and two electrified powertrains: a 48V hybrid (136 hp) and a Plug-In hybrid (195 hp).

Price

The PEUGEOT E-5008 costs approximately £48,650 - £55,370, with prices lower for the entry-level Allure finish. This isn't a big step up from the five-seater PEUGEOT E-3008, which costs £45,850 to £52,350, but it obviously has much less room.

Compared to other electric seven-seater cars on the market, the E-5008 has a more accessible price point. For example, the Kia flagship electric SUV starts at around £64,995. The PEUGEOT E-5008 has finance options as well.

Here to make your car purchasing journey smooth, we look at the very best launches in the auto world, cutting through the jargon to give you everything you need to know.

The DS 4 has established itself as a luxurious large five-seater option for drivers—a fancy hatchback to rival the Mercedes A-Class, Audi A3, and BMW 1 Series. And this coveted model just got a luxe new upgrade.

The DS 4 currently has four trim levels: the Performance Line, Rivoli trim, Esprit de Voyage, and now, its highest-spec yet, the OPÉRA. The arrival of the new OPÉRA specification celebrates the model's premium craftsmanship, available on the DS 4 and DS 4 Cross. For those new to the DS 4, the classic model has a more compact, elegant shape, while the DS 4 Cross is built for more adventurous journeys with Advanced Traction Control and shape closer to an SUV.

Earlier this year, the DS 4 range included a ‘Hybrid 136’ automatic engine option alongside its PureTech 130 petrol BlueHDi 130 diesel and ‘plug-in hybrid’ 225 E-Tense powertrains. The OPÉRA trim is available with all options within the range. This all-singing-and-dancing new spec sits at the top of the DS4 range, championing luxury design with some exciting new features as standard. This is everything we know about the new DS 4 OPÉRA.

Style

The DS 4 range is widely regarded as a luxury option with sleek styling and a minimal design approach. OPÉRA is the new luxury option for DS 4, and the design was carefully considered. The interiors are enhanced with Criollo Brown Nappa Leather seats and the brand's signature 'watchstrap' design upholstery. In contrast, the entry-level Performance Line is mostly trimmed in Alcantara artificial suede. Alloy wheels are standard across the range and are 19 inches in diameter.

As a big bonus, the front seats have heating, cooling, and (most excitingly) massaging functions for added comfort.

Tech

All DS 4 cars have high-spec tech features, such as LED headlights and a keyless start. Drivers will also find a high-definition touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easier access to entertainment.

There are also some new features in the mix for the DS 4 OPÉRA, including Active Scan Suspension. This camera-controlled damping system adjusts each vehicle wheel to improve comfort (and safety). Laminated front and rear windows, wireless charging, aluminium pedals, and footrests for improved driver comfort are some more bonuses that come with this new specification for the DS 4.

There's also adaptive cruise control (available from the Rivoli upwards), heated seats and a swish 360-degree reversing camera. Handily for long drives, the steering wheel features a grip sensor that continually checks if the driver is paying attention. DS Night Vision also comes as standard with the OPÉRA specification—a nifty feature that marks out hazards when driving in the dark.

Comfort

The DS 4 is built with comfort in mind, and each trim has soft, padded seats that will serve passengers well on long drives. The DS 4 OPÉRA upgrades the usual interiors with Nappa Leather, which is highly regarded due to its softness, durability, breathability—and aesthetic appeal.

The DS 4's suspension setup ensures a smooth ride, gliding over potholes and ditches with fewer bumps.

Power

The DS 4's petrol and diesel options are more suited to city driving than high-speed motorways—though with an acceleration of 0 to 62 miles per hour (mph) in 10.4 seconds it's powerful enough to overtake and maintain high speeds. The DS 4 has a top speed of 130 mph.

Price

The new DS 4 OPÉRA isn't cheap, with prices starting at around £32,450 and rising to £45,880. Those opting for the DS 4 OPÉRA trim with the E-Tense plug-in hybrid engine will pay more like £47,000—quite a considerable price hike.

This relatively affordable model has petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. The DS 4 E-Tense plug-in hybrid model is the cheapest to run if you're organised enough to plug it in and charge it regularly to aid efficiency.

Chauffeur-driven car service Wheely is launching a shiny new service - and it may just be their most exclusive yet. The chauffeur-driven service has just introduced a Members Service and will be introducing an all-new New First Class Service, setting a new industry benchmark for on-demand luxury.

The recently launched Wheely Membership programme is strictly invitation only for the brand's most frequent clients. The new programme offers the chosen few exclusive benefits, such as Chauffeur for a Day and Concierge services.

Plus, the New First Class service will feature the ultra-luxurious next generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W223), so guests really can travel in style. This ride really does have it all - extra legroom, reclining seats and privacy blinds as well as super-luxe extras like FIJI Water, Oshibori refreshing towelettes and an Acqua Di Parma diffuser. We feel relaxed just thinking about it!

What's more, the membership programme also allows customers to refer friends, colleagues and loved ones for a trial membership, which includes a complimentary journey worth up to £100 for both the Member and the new customer.

A little more on Wheely 

Wheely is a Swiss-founded, British luxury chauffeur service, which offers a luxurious in-car experience with highly trained and discreet drivers. Naturally, they only drive impeccable Mercedes.

All chauffeurs are trained in etiquette and arrive wearing a suit, ready to help with doors and baggage. Inside the car, the luxury continues with charging cables, free water, and a door that will always be held open for you. Wheely also offers a meet-and-greet service for airport transfers. 

Wheely comes top-rated - Wheely's consistently high standards have made Wheely the UK App Store’s highest-rated ride-hailing app with an impressive 4.9-star rating. 

Wheely says of its services: "We are in the business of protecting our guests’ time. We exist to help them use their time effectively by connecting them to the places and people that matter, in a thoughtful, discreet and reliable manner."

How do you use the Wheely app? 

All you need is a phone and pin code, which is sent to verify the phone number, and then you're ready to go. Like with taxi services like Uber or Bolt, Wheely will show the ETA of the next available chauffeur.

For those who want to book in advance, there's the 'choose time' time option where you can book days or even weeks in advance.

Costs vary from destination to destination, but a full day (8 hours) with a driver costs around £440. 

You can download the Wheely app for Apple devices here, and for Android devices here. 

Imagine if everyone with brown hair in the UK was worried about buying an electric vehicle because they hadn’t seen any advice articles, didn’t know that after 2030 there are no more new petrol or diesel cars on sale, and were generally lacking in confidence about going electric because they didn’t feel informed enough. Wouldn’t that be mad? 

Yet, the majority of the 19 million female drivers in the UK feel that way about making the switch, because so little information has reached them, according to a new report, “No Driver Left Behind: Women and the Journey to Electric”, launched by Auto Trader with Hive by British Gas, last week.

The report surveyed 4,000 women and focus groups, and the results found that women are more disenfranchised from the car-buying process than at any point in the last 100 years, at just the time when you’d naturally assume the gender gap among consumers was closing. 

Electric cars are a lifestyle choice. Choosing to buy one means choosing to invest in sustainable materials, futuristic technology, cleaner living and lowering your carbon footprint, not to mention deciding that the extra cost is worth it and that you have the sort of lifestyle that will suit it. 

These are all consumer choices where women traditionally take the lead, yet when it comes to cars, that behaviour is reversed, with 62 per cent of women saying they don’t know enough about electric cars to feel confident about buying one, compared with 47 per cent of men. Women are three times more likely than men to say they haven’t heard of the 2030 cut-off date for the sale of cars with an engine. There are far fewer female electric-car drivers than male. Only 28 per cent of women aged 55 or over would think about an electric car for their next purchase, as Marie Claire UK wrote about here.

So, why are women being left out of the car buying process?

None of this makes sense. We know women are pre-disposed towards sustainable products, and we know electric cars are particularly great for older women who are more likely to live in houses with off-street parking for charging, more likely to have the money to spend on one, and less likely to be doing long motorway commutes every day so not so affected by range anxiety. And yet the data shows the reverse of all this is happening. Why? 

Primarily, because car brands don’t employ enough women to understand what female consumers want - from how and where they want to be targeted with ads, to what language they empathise with, to what features in a a car matter to them, to who they want to see representing them in the car-buying journey. 

Only 20 per cent of the automotive workforce is female, a figure that drops to 10 per cent at executive level. Car brands struggle to decide what is patronising and what is practical when it comes to the design and features of a car, and those decisions can only be made by consulting women - all the data in the world won’t give you empathy with your consumers.

Secondly, women are distanced from electric cars because very few women’s magazines (shout out to Marie Claire UK), TV, radio programmes or social media channels think women care about cars or want to read, see or listen to stories about them. This is a stance I would strongly disagree with, seeing as 47 per cent of driving licences and 41 per cent of cars in the UK are owned by women. It’s like saying women aren’t interested in finance content, despite the fact we all have bank accounts and a mixture of savings and debt.

We may not want to read car reviews, watch petrolheads throwing a car around a track on YouTube, or bore ourselves watching three middle-aged men present Top Gear and talk about horsepower, but it doesn’t mean we don’t want to engage with the topic: we just want content that’s relevant to us, created by women.

We want car brands to recognise the fact that the majority of caring in this country, whether it’s for children, partners or relatives, is carried out by women, and therefore we are hugely concerned about charging times, how and where to charge, how far we can travel on one charge and what happens if we run out.

We want car brands to recognise that, according to Cenex, the majority of tenants in social housing are women, and that we are therefore more disadvantaged when it comes to EVs than men, because social housing doesn’t install charging points. How will car brands tackle that? Do they know or care?

The upside in all this, is that the women who have been brave and bought an electric car, love their electric car. An overwhelming 80 per cent of them say they’d choose electric for their next car and even more would recommend going electric to friends and family. I reckon that’s because their fears don’t materialise - very few female EV owners have ever experienced charging issues, battery issues, or have ever run out of charge (the percentages are all under 20 per cent).

There’s a lot of myth-busting to do and consumer confidence to instil, but it starts with empowering women through knowledge. And it starts now.

Will you consider investing in an electric vehicle, or at least reading up on the pros and cons of doing so? Our guides to the best electric cars, best new cars for parents, and the best family SUV's might help. 

If you read our guide to the best electric cars, you'll know that here at Marie Claire UK, we're passionate about protecting the planet and investing in vehicles that cause less pollution.

Interested in a more sustainable vehicle but not ready to go full-bore electric just yet? There are other options available, like plug in hybrid cars, which are cars with a decent electric range alongside a petrol or diesel engine for longer trips. 

Why is it important we start investing more sensibly now and taking care of our planet? Well, because global warming is increasing at a rapid rate that even scientists didn't predict. Not only that but petrol and diesel cars will be banned from sale in the UK in 2030, asking consumers to seriously consider where they invest their money.

As a car expert and Editorial Director at AutoTrader UK, I know a thing or two about what makes a car good, taking into consideration its sustainability credentials, affordability, and how enjoyable it is to drive, too. For my edit of the eight best plug in hybrid cars for 2023, keep scrolling.

Best plug in hybrid cars 2023: 10 worth the investment, according to a car expert

1. Vauxhall Astra Hybrid-e

This revitalised hatchback is more distinctive than ever – with its sharp, all-new styling and a decent 43-mile electric range to accompany its combustion engine. 

Best for? If you want to keep running costs low amid rising living costs, the Astra Hybrid-e might be the one for you. Forget what you thought you knew about Vauxhall - it's revolutionised itself and is increasingly a highly sought-after brand.

View at Autotrader here.

2. Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid

It’s no surprise that the large Cayenne SUV (the Macan is smaller) is one of Porsche’s bestsellers. 

Best for? A blend of electric power and luxury sports performance, this athletic SUV offers hybrid technology, space for the whole family and ultimately, a lot of fun behind the wheel.

View at Autotrader here.

3. Peugeot 308 Hybrid

The Peugeot 308 Plug-in Hybrid is a strong contender in the popular mid-sized hatchback category, with a striking design and up to 37 miles of electric driving. 

Best for? Its satisfyingly smooth transition between petrol, electric and combined power makes it a fully tuned plug-in hybrid, packed with most of the latest safety technology as standard.

View at Autotrader here.

4. BMW 330e

If you’re a fan of the 3-series, there’s a reliable plug-in hybrid version you might love even more, that also has its 41-mile battery-only driving range. This car proves that going "electrified" doesn’t mean boring - the XtraBoost is a fun, performance-boosting quirk of the BMW’s Sport driving mode settings, accelerating the combined petrol-electric power output for short bursts at a time.

Best for? Covering most owners’ commutes, the BMW 330e boasts features such as setting a guide percentage of battery you’d like to retain to maximise the most of its e-efficiency for EV-only zones in cities.

View at AutoTrader here.

5. VW Golf GTE

The VW Golf GTE is a convincing all-rounder, combining pacey GTI levels of power with low-emissions driving. The all-electric "e-mode" range is 38 miles which again, depending on your lifestyle, might suit you if you’re able to charge regularly and tend to stay within the 30+ mile range. 

Best for? Given its practical uses, decent-sized boot and strong offering of technology, it excels as an everyday compact hatchback.

View at AutoTrader here.

6. Kia Niro Hybrid

Given Kia’s reputation for producing dependable cars, supported by its seven-year warranty cover, the Niro offers peace of mind like no other. 

Best for? This mid-size SUV can operate effectively as an EV for up to 40 miles and seems to prioritise ride comfort in its package. Its distinctly striking exterior showcases a matt/gloss two-tone tiger nose grill and boomerang-style tail motif lights.

View at AutoTrader here.

7. Audi A3 TFSI e-tron

Audi’s premium and popular A3 has a plug-in hybrid version that is still as sporty and athletic looking as the petrol A3. 

Best for? Electric power is smooth and relaxed, but if you want a perk, you can choose the Dynamic drive select mode and it becomes a lot of fun. The loss of boot space, however, makes it ideal for those without kids.

View at AutoTrader here.

8. McLaren Artura

The Artura supercar – despite being hybrid – remains faithful to all the things we love about the traditional McLaren, from its luxurious two-seater cabin to its outrageous design. It’s still light despite the addition of a battery, thanks to its carbon lightweight architecture, and it can confidently do 0-62mph in three seconds, with top speeds of 205mph. 

Best for? You can drive on pure electric for up to an official 19 miles, which doesn’t disrupt the pedal feel as it’s so smoothly integrated.

View at AutoTrader here.

Keen to check out more cars while you're here? Our edits of the best cars for new parents, best city cars, and best family SUV's might help. 

Making the switch to electric? Here are the best electric cars to chose from

Sales of electric cars have doubled since 2021 and their popularity is continuing to skyrocket. If you have been considering making the switch to electric, then keep scrolling as Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, shares the best electric cars of 2022.

If you are searching for a last-minute summer getaway, make sure to check out the best sustainable road trips while you are here.

BMW iX

A technical tour de force, with wood surfaces for electronic displays, illuminated glass buttons and 300 miles of electric range. The boot’s a bit small for a family SUV but there are plenty of driver aids to take the strain.

Buy one here

Skoda Enyaq iV

This electric large SUV feels like the premium choice, which shows you how far Skoda has progressed. Umbrellas in the doors, a huge touchscreen with smartphone mirroring and eco-friendly leather tanned using olive skins make this car seem a bargain. Greta value for money.

Buy one here 

Kia EV6 GT

The super-fast version of the popular EV6. You get lime-green brakes, seat piping and GT button on the steering wheel. Press that and the car becomes insanely fast - 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds which is serious sports-car territory, but still with space for four adults and luggage in comfort. Less range as a result - maybe 230 miles - but a lot of fun.

Buy one here

Genesis GV60

Very cool car from Hyundai’s luxury brand (and don’t let that put you off - it means great reliability). There’s a crystal sphere that acts as gear selector and spins into life when you start the car, cameras on the doors instead of mirrors, sharp graphics and simple tiles to choose your entertainment from. It’s also very quick with 480 horsepower of you go for the expensive version.

Buy one here

Vauxhall Mokka-e

Sharp looks, vibrant paint colours including a great frog-green, decent range (200 miles) for its size, and good value for money make this car a winner. Its small footprint make town parking easy but it’s a decent family car unless you have long-legged teenagers…

Buy one here 

Mazda MX-30

If you like something a bit quirky and different, try the MX-30. It has rear doors that open outwards sustainable cork used on the dashboard and a range of vegan materials. The range disappoints, with just 124 miles, but if you’re a city driver, that’ll be plenty, and it will charge more quickly than bigger batteries.

Buy one here

Nissan Ariya

A futuristic design take on the electric car from the brand that brought us the Nissan Leaf, more than a decade ago now, so there’s pedigree here. Loads of space inside and high levels of comfort mean this ticks the box for families and drivers after some head-turning looks. You should get about 300 miles from the biggest battery on offer.

Buy one here

Renault Megane E-Tech

We have a soft spot for Renault, and the electric Megane E-Tech hits the sweet spot for us, with easy-to-use, Google-based media, a choice of three trim levels, and two battery sizes - the top one offers 292 miles which is good for a hatchback. Deep boot, too.

Buy one here 

Audi Q4 e-tron

Fitting in below the bigger E-tron electric SUV, the Q4 E-tron is expected to be Audi’s best seller. The quattro version offers great performance, you get that Audi feeling of luxury inside with a great entertainment screen and smooth leather, and a maximum 300 miles’ range.

Buy one here

"If you’re tired of virtue signalling and green-washing about the environment, and are after a staycation with a genuinely ultra-low carbon footprint" look no further...

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader, gives us an exclusive look into the best sustainable road trips.

Alesund, Norway in a Jaguar I-Pace

Norway boasts the world’s highest proportion of electric cars on its roads, at 65 per cent take-up, thanks to Government incentives and a good charging network. But it’s more than that: electric just suits the vibes on these beautiful mountainous roads that zigzag in and out of the fjords, linked by countless electric ferries that glide silently across the glassy waters. The transport system in Norway works in harmony with the landscape, which makes a road trip in an electric car so satisfying.

We took a Jaguar I-Pace on a three-day adventure from Alesund, driving up the coast to experience the stunning Atlantic Road, with its swooping bridge that featured in the Bond No Time to Die Bond film. The waves up here on the roof of the world lap countless rocky outcrops covered in lichens and sea grasses, sending seagulls into the wind and seals below the surface.

Stay at one of 62 Nord’s perfect hotels in the area for a truly luxe trip: Hotel Brosundet in Alesund itself is a chic base on the water. Storfjord Hotel in the hills is a clutch of blackened timber cabins with moss roofs and open fires, and newly renovated Hotel Union Oye celebrates the romance of hiking and exploration, and a history of visitors including Karen Blixen and Kaiser Wilhelm. You can create a lovely circular route to link all three, with plenty of rapid chargers en route.

Wilderley, Suffolk in a Skoda Enyaq iV

If you’re tired of virtue signalling and green-washing about the environment, and are after a staycation with a genuinely ultra-low carbon footprint, book in to the treehouse, yurt, shepherd’s hut or railway cabin at Wilderley, a smallholding with a difference near Beccles, Suffolk. The big surprise here is at the back of the farm: a grassy airstrip and hangar housing the world’s only electric planes. You can take a short flight to experience the silence among the clouds, or settle into a yoga class, plant a tree in the pretty arboretum in the top field, or pet one of the many surprising rescue animals on the farm including rheas, alpacas, meerkats and goats.

Make no mistake: Wilderley is true to its ethos, so expect dim lighting due to the solar energy, a vegetarian menu thanks to ultra local sourcing of food (four-mile radius) and the farm’s love of animals, and compost toilets.

The one thing currently lacking is an electric charging point for cars: we drove up in the remarkable Skoda Enyaq iV (Skoda supports the enterprise and has planted a tree on site) and had to make do with local charging points. The drive through Suffolk is a tranquil mixture of lanes and fast flowing roads that lead to the watery Broads, and the Enyaq iV, a large, pure electric family SUV, proved perfect: it is silent, smooth and oh so comfy.

Our car was black with a cognac-coloured leather taken from Skoda’s eco suite – the leather is tanned using olive-leaf extract instead of the more harmful traditional method. The Enyaq iV is amazing value for money, unsurprisingly – electric cars are, on average, 37 per cent more expensive than their petrol counterparts but the Enyaq iV costs the same as a fossil-fuelled medium SUV.

Galvin Green Man in a Ford Mustang Mach-e

Essex isn’t known for the natural beauty of its landscape but venture beyond Chelmsford and there are some excellent, back-to-nature driving routes. And what better electric car for some dynamic, involving driving than Ford’s Mustang Mach-E? It maintains the legendary handling of Fords, but with sexier styling, fake engine growl and “Untamed” mode, which eats into the battery’s range but is a hell of a lot of fun.

You also won’t mind depleting the range when you’ve got Gridserve’s jaw-dropping supercharging hub nearby, at Braintree. It looks like a huge fuel station, but houses multiple rapid chargers which can recharge a Mustang Mach-E in under half an hour while you have a coffee, book one of the office pods or even peddle away on the exercise bike, with your energy pouring straight into the power reserves at the station.

We drove a surprisingly pretty route through ancient villages between Chelmsford and Colchester including Coggeshall and Maldon, and ended up at Galvin Green Man for dinner, an excellent pub run by the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers. We eschewed red meat, given the huge carbon footprint of beef, and ended the day on a high note, with fresh fish, vegetables and a brilliant drive home.

Thirsk in a Twisted Land Rover

Think sustainable motoring and you don’t think of 4x4s or Land Rovers. However, a car with a low carbon footprint does not merely involve tailpipe emissions and something with a plug. If you really want to reduce the carbon footprint of your driving, you need to consider the lifespan of the vehicle, from its manufacture to its recycling, or second-life application. This is where brands like Twisted come in. Twisted takes old Land Rover Defenders and breathes new life into them. It rebuilds, re-engineers, re-upholsters and recommissions the cars for customers who want an old Defender but one that feels and drives like new.

So rather than mining yet more minerals and soldering yet more metal to build yet more new cars, with all the energy that requires, Twisted is part of the circular economy, refusing to give up on tired old Defenders. Even its HQ in Thirsk, Yorkshire, is an old cinema which has had new life breathed into it by the brand.

We drove a Twisted Defender from Thirsk into the surrounding Yorkshire landscape, with a little bit of green-laning thrown in (the practise of driving on approved tracks over rough ground; a sort of semi-off roading). The steep, rambling lanes criss-crossing the north Yorkshire moors provide cinematic views of countryside and sky, punctured every now and then by the squared-off bonnet of the Twisted Defender as it chugs merrily up, over and down the contours of God’s own country. There are few more quintessentially British experiences.

Looking for a new ride? Look no further with our round up of the latest and greatest small cars

From high-pressure parking scenarios to rising pollution levels, city driving can be less than appealing. Thankfully, there are plenty of new car models designed to nip between the smallest of spaces and have a minimal impact on the environment.

Marie Claire caught up with Erin Baker, Auto Trader Editorial Director, to find out about the best cars for city living in 2022. Read on to discover her top picks.

Citroën Ami 

Technically a quadricycle rather than a car, the Citroën Ami is the perfect size for zipping around town. With a top speed of less than 30mph and 100% electric, the Ami is a truly modern mobility solution. Minus the battery, every part of the car is fully recyclable. It's also designed to be easily customisable, inside and out. There's even a handbag hook — ideal.

Toyota GR Yaris

A true pocket rocket. This tiny zoomy Toyota was built as a limited edition and provides tons of old-fashioned fun with a manual gearstick, carbon-fibre styling and small, high-revving engine. If you can get your hands on one, it should be a good investment.

Vauxhall Mokka E

A small SUV with chunky styling and bright green paintwork, the electric version of the Mokka is great for family shopping trips and easy parking round town. It’s also good for about 200 miles on one charge, which makes it a sensible electric purchase.

Mini Convertible John Cooper Works

Mini’s John Cooper Works (JCW) version of its Convertible provides loads of fun in the sun. JCW is the badge attached to the more powerful and hardcore Minis. Put your foot down and the exhaust roars as the city hatch powers up the road. Mini excel when it comes to bespoke design touches — why not go for the grey and black Union Jack roof design, zesty lemon paintwork or red brake callipers?

Fiat 500e

With almost 200 miles of range and creature comforts like wireless phone charging, the new pure-electric Fiat 500e is great value for money. It also features a very stylish, sustainable interior that includes recycled marine plastics. Outside, the blend of retro and contemporary design puts it at the top of our electric list.

Skoda Fabia

As ever, the clever stuff with the Skoda Fabia lies on the inside. There’s a nice scraper by the fuel filler cap, umbrellas in the doors, wireless phone charging and a surprisingly big boot. All this at a very good price that will challenge the Ford Fiesta (below), the UK’s best-selling car.

Ford Fiesta

The humble Fiesta has been going strong for over 40 years now, and it’s easy to see why: the driving experience belongs to a car costing twice the money, with heavy steering, a smooth, quiet ride and peppy, frugal petrol engines. Our only caveat is that the competition from Peugeot, VW, Fiat and Seat provide more exciting interiors and prettier digital experiences.

VW T-Cross

With compact dimensions, but a higher riding position than the Polo on which it’s based, the Volkswagen T-Cross is an attractive option. There’s a great range of exterior paint colours to choose from and the styling is boxy and bold. Like all our cars in this article, its main strengths are ease of driving and parking.

Audi Q2

If you need to travel in and out of town to the countryside, the Audi Q2 and its optional four-wheel drive could suit you. There's plenty of space for a young family among its pleasingly premium interior, and Audi still offers one of the best touchscreen experiences out there.

Peugeot 208

Chic French styling, combining jazzy colours with chunky curves, makes the 208 an immensely desirable small car. You can choose the pure electric version (e-208) or plump for one of the petrol or diesel jobs. The tech graphics inside are positively beautiful and there are plenty of features as standard including rear parking sensors.

At some point in recent history, you've probably been told to 'embrace change' and welcome it into your life, but be it a personal change, or ploughing forward with a professional goal - the idea of stepping into the unknown can often lead to stasis. Every possible outcome starts playing out in your mind, and because the human brain is a funny old thing, it's the negative thoughts that get the air time...

"Am I good enough to do this?"

"What if it doesn't work out?"

"Who do I think I am?!"

How about, we let the positive thoughts get their time in the sun for a change, because we're pretty sure Jeffrey Bezos didn't sit in front on the mirror and ask his reflection if he was "good enough" before experiencing four minutes of weightlessness in suborbital space. Whilst a multi-billion pound joyride to space is out of the question for most of us, we do admire that spirit of adventure. The desire to try something new, embrace the now and become your own agent of change.

And it's with that spirit in mind that, as part of our Driven series with Ford, we sat down with some of our favourite women to properly understand what it took to get where they are today; from navigating stumbling blocks and taking the path less travelled, to not being afraid to use their voice to affect positive change - their energy and ambition is not just inspiring, it's infectious

Visit the Driven Hub to find out more tips on how to create more, do more and change more...

Case in point: Our interview with broadcasting powerhouse Vick Hope. The queen of positivity's energy is only matched by her drive to make lasting change and amplify voices that have traditionally been excluded from the mainstream narrative, all whilst balancing her career as a broadcast journalist and presenter. Her tip? Keeping a sense of perspective... and a banging playlist, obviously.

We also sat down with social worker, author and podcasting legend Lennie Ware for a candid chat about what can be achieved when you actively embrace opportunities that come out of nowhere. Whilst the Table Manners' matriarch can now count 3.5 million of us as fans, it was a happy accident that she became so heavily involved in the podcast. Initially enlisted by her daughter, Jessie, to cook for the guests, her natural rapport with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran became a key ingredient to creating the hit show, proving that whatever stage of life you're at, if you're receptive and not afraid to take a chance, change can be a very good thing indeed.

Watch the full Driven series here. 

As skilled with a saucepan as she is a pin-sharp one-liner, Lennie Ware’s later life success as a podcasting sensation probably doesn’t come as a surprise to those that know her. 

The 70-year-old social worker has become an accidental cultural icon in recent years, owing to her role as resident chef-come-co-host on Table Manners, the cult podcast in which she and daughter Jessie invite names as famous as Emily Ratajkowski, Dolly Parton and Kylie Minogue (who loved her sit-down with the Wares so much that she came back for more) round for lunch. 

Despite her astronomical success – which has since spawned live tours, TV appearances and most recently, a cookbook revealing the culinary secrets that keep Hollywood stars and British politicians alike pulling up a chair – she doesn’t plan on giving up her work as a social worker anytime soon; telling Marie Claire UK’s Editor Holly Rains, “The podcast was never meant to be a career. It was just meant to be something we did.” 

One of the trailblazing women we’re spotlighting as part of our Driven series in partnership with Ford, Lennie tells Holly of how she moved from a sideliner at the stove to the podcast’s co-host, who her dream dinner guests are, and what it is that drives her to make the world a more equitable place. 

Visit the Driven Hub to find out more tips on how to create more, do more and change more…

Though growing up, her mother wanted her to work at Marks & Spencer “because I’d be able to access all the discounts they give their staff”, Ware has spent most of her life working with children and families. 

“I heard a talk about social work at school and thought: that sounds interesting [and] it’s not boring. I’m passionate about children’s rights and achieving good outcomes. I feel very satisfied with my job, and it’s been endlessly amazing and interesting,” she says. 

Her secret to fitting it all in?

“I do moan a bit,” she quips. 

It’s this disarming, down-to-earth charm that’s gotten Table Manners guests to reveal everything from losing their trunks in an Olympic pool (Tom Daley) to whether they’d be running again in London’s mayoral election (Sadiq Khan). 

She may not be trained as a journalist, but she does a better job than most of us when it comes to getting the scoop. Is there anything she can’t do, we hear you cry?

Nope, sorry. In addition to all of the above, Ware has finessed the recipe for the universe’s most delicious matzah balls (her words, though Jamie Oliver has confirmed it), cooked fish for Kylie Minogue, and spent two years perfecting a cookbook full of her A-list approved recipes. 

Any on-air culinary disasters she blames exclusively on Jessie, who, she tells Holly, was responsible for the now-iconic Table Manners episode that left fellow musician George Ezra having to resort to takeout. 

“Jessie had marinated some short ribs – which were actually long ribs because they hadn’t been cut. And they were inedible. We actually had to order in. We couldn’t eat them.” 

Luckily, she adds: “He was the sweetest, loveliest person and he didn’t really mind.”

Having now hosted 150 famous names and counting at her Clapham kitchen table, does she still have a dream dinner guest?

“Well, there’s two people we would really love,” she reveals. “Marcus Rashford, because I’m a Man United supporter and he is wonderful, and I think we’d learn a lot – we’d love him to come with his mum, that would be great – and of course, Barbara Streisand. That’s the big goal.”

Now why do we get the impression that it won’t be too long until the two megastars are seated around Ware’s kitchen table, plates primed and ready for seconds? 

To find out more about our Driven campaign in partnership with Ford – and the brilliant women we’re spotlighting – visit driven-uk.com. 

From Volvo, to Renault, to Mercedes.

Search for "best SUV's" is up 365% year on year, showing a huge demand in interest for the large, family-style cars.

For those of you knew to car jargon, SUV is an acronym for Sports Utility Vehicle. It's used to refer to typically four-wheel drive cars that sit high off the ground and sit anywhere between four and seven.

We bought you the best plug-in hybrid cars, the best electric cars and eco-friendly cars, too. Next up, Erin Baker, editorial director at AutoTrader, shares her top picks of the best SUVs for 2021.

Best SUVs: 10 top picks

1. Volvo XC90

It’s the biggest, and best, family SUV, but this sort of comfort and style comes at a price, and the XC90 is also one of the most expensive seven-seat SUVs out there. But if your budget will stretch to this Scandinavian beauty, don’t think twice: lovely wools, open-pore wood and pale leathers complete the airy interior and there’s a large touchscreen. You can get it as a diesel, petrol or plug-in electric version and a pure electric one is on the way in 2022.

2. Renault Arkana

New to market, this SUV has a coupe-style roof for a slinkier silhouette. That normally means less headroom in the back but not here: Renault has worked its magic on the packaging to give rear passengers plenty of room.

There are two petrol hybrids to choose from: a mild hybrid and a full E-Tech hybrid which gives you an energy boost off the line and brings down your emissions: you don’t get pure electric driving in either of them, but if lowering your emissions is your priority, this is a family-friendly choice that’s easy to drive.

3. Skoda Enyaq iv

This electric SUV is unbelievable value - electric cars are normally significantly more expensive than their petrol or diesel counterparts, but the Enyaq iV (iV denotes Skoda’s electric cars) costs what you’d expect to pay for a normal SUV this size. Buy it in 60 or 80 guise - the numbers relate to battery size, which dictates power and range: you get up to 333 miles with the larger one.

4. Kia Sorento

Demand for this new version of the seven-sear Sorento has been huge, so get your order in now. Great design, inside and out, plus a lot of space and kit for the money has made this car excellent value. Go for the plug-in hybrid version with up to 35 miles of electric-only driving range, especially if you get a company car, where it really makes financial sense from a tax point of view.

5. Mercedes EQA

This pure electric, small SUV has a surprisingly large and comfy interior and is fine for a young family. The interior is very plush, with the best touchscreen system around, and cool graphics such as a swipable gallery showing your smartphone music library. The satnav system is one of the best in the business too, and at night you can choose from 64 colours of ambient lighting.

6. Porsche Macan GTS

The Macan sits below the Cayenne, in size and price, and is the perfect sporty SUV for many women with busy lives who love their cars. While the standard version doest feel very exciting on the nove, the flagship GTS sets that right with a pleasing growl from the exhausts and acceleration that does’t give up. You can also choose bright red plastic frames for the ventilation in the front and rear, and matching seatbelts.

7. Maserati Levante Trofeo

This is the daddy of them all: expensive, large, loud, Italian, powerful, fun to drive, and very, very fast. That’s because essentially under the bonnet there’s a Ferrari engine, and boy does it feel and sound like you’re driving a supercar. But one that’s got room for the teenagers in the back and all their games kit, shopping and bags in the large boot. We love it in red: go large or go home.

8. Volkswagen ID4

Volkswagen’s first pure electric car was the ID3, essentially a plugged-in Golf, and the ID4 is their first electric SUV. It looks big, bold and glossy outside, with futuristic touches inside like the all-white steering wheel and rocker switch to change driving mode on the side. It is quiet and smooth to drive, and can take you up to 310 miles between charges.

9. Land Rover Defender

If we all bought cars on their design alone, the new Defender would surely be top of everyone’s list. Offered in a range of very cool colours, from golds to greens, blues and back to black, with contemporary technical materials and light leathers inside, it’s the complete package. You can add ladders, roof tents, laptop racks, a third jump seat up front… it’s an endless box of toys and the best off-roader in the world.

10. Peugeot 5008

Peugeot warms our hearts these days with great design and a good record for reliability that has pushed it up into Volkswagen territory, so you no longer need to worry about buying one. The steering wheel sits low, beneath the display, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road and feel like you’re driving something sporty. There are seven seats for large families.

Scroll our pick of the best on sale now.

Pure electric cars aren’t right for everyone yet: those who do regular motorway journeys or long trips may find the anxiety of running out of charge too much to bear.

But we’re all mindful of our carbon footprint now, so eco-friendly cars like plug-in hybrids are the perfect compromise for many: up to 30 miles of electric driving on every charge, and a petrol or diesel engine to kick in until you can reach your destination.

Here’s our pick of the best on sale right now.

Best plug-in hybrid cars 2021: 7 to consider

1. BMW 330e

BMW offers the most generous electric range of nearly all plug-in hybrids on sale: up to 41 miles on electric power with the BMW 330e. Combined with a 2.0-litre petrol engine (lots of plug-ins only offer a small engine to partner the battery) and rear wheel drive or all-wheel drive, this is a swift, sexy car that shows you don’t have to wear a hairshirt to go green.

2. Mercedes E300e

Mercedes, like BMW, offers a luxury, high-tech plug-in hybrid experience.

The new Mercedes E300e E-class plug-in hybrid, which comes in saloon and estate form, has a fantastic new infotainment system with virtual-reality sat nav, a swipe-able gallery of your smartphone’s music, a wellbeing suite of music and seat massaging, and ambient lighting that changes colour. There’s tons of space and it’s smooth and quiet, and promises up to 34 miles’ electric driving with two hours’ charging time.

3. Ford Kuga PHEV

Ford’s Kuga PHEV family SUV is probably the most satisfying mid-size SUV to drive with precise, easy steering which makes parking in town easy, and a smooth ride.

You’ll get very good fuel economy even with the engine kicking in (around 50mpg) and there’s generous boot space plus good leg room in the back for passengers. Up to 35 miles on battery power only.

4. Volvo XC60 Recharge

Confusingly, Volvo’s Recharge badge used to mean the car was a plug-in hybrid, but it’s starting to be put on Volvo’s expanding pure electric range too, so be careful what you’re looking at. The Volvo XC60 isn’t cheap compared with rivals, but it’s a highly desirable, very comfy SUV with beautifully decorated interiors in everything from black leather and grey open-pore woods to cream leather and blue wool.

We also love the Scandinavian vibe that focuses on outdoor adventure; there’s even a little Swedish flag sewed into the front seat to remind you of the brand’s heritage. There are three versions of power to choose from but all are rapid and offer some electric driving via a 'Pure' button.

5. Jaguar F-Pace Plug-In Hybrid

Gone are the days of gentlemen racers driving big old Jaguar saloons slowly round town. Jaguar now is all about female owners and families, restrained design, sustainable materials, clean-air filters and beautiful digital graphics on the tech screens.

Their large SUV, the Jaguar F-Pace, is light and airy and simple to drive, but still, like all Jaguars, a lot of fun, too. You can charge the plug-in hybrid in as little as thirty minutes and get up to 33 miles of electric driving. We love the two-tone black and white leather steering wheel as an option.

6. VW Golf GTE

Staggeringly, the plug-in hybrid VW Golf GTE offers the same power as the racer Golf GTI. But you’re more likely to save the planet in the former than the latter. Win-win, no? Yes, because, on top of that, you get up to 38 miles of electric only driving, which is best-in-class stuff. It feels very rapid moving away from junctions, and has that quality-build feel that the Golf has always been known for. Good, if not beautiful, sat nav system and smart vibe inside.

7. Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4

Well built (Peugeot’s reliability is way better than it used to be), well equipped, comfy, stylish and surprisingly rapid, the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 is a fairly small but chunky SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The combo of two electric motors and a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine means this car sprints away from the lights like a scolded cat (under six seconds), which make you giggle. And it’s good value for money.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader takes a look at the best and most beautiful cars

Car design is becoming more important as diesel and petrol engines phase out and we all end up essentially driving the same car - one with a battery and motors. Brands are focusing on interior and exterior style and materials in a major way, with some amazing results, so it’s good news for those of us who appreciate a bit of grace alongside the pace.

Honda e

Futuristic tech packaged in a four-wheeled retrospective piece of art. vibrant body colours, laid-back grey and brown lounge vibe inside. And a digital aquarium moving across the dashboard.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/honda/honda-e

Peugeot 208

Proof that beauty can be contained in a small but perfectly formed package. Sporty lights and vents, chunky bodywork and graceful rotating digital graphics inside. Looks excellent in electric blue.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/peugeot/208

Ferrari Roma

The most beautiful Ferrari ever penned: discuss. All the proportions of a very fast, very powerful Italian GT but without the extraneous fuss of aerodynamic frills. Brilliantly understated, very modern. Should age well.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/ferrari

Land Rover Defender

Can a mud-plugging Land Rover ever really be termed “beautiful”? Yes: the new Defender is the proof. Intelligent re-imagining of a post-war utilitarian workhorse into a gorgeous, friendly box of delights. Pale interiors are paired with tough, honest fabrics.

Choose yours here https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/land-rover/defender-90

Polestar 2

A more interesting take on the Tesla Model 3 offers a large grille, split headlights making to those found on sister brand Volvo, single thin LED strip at the rear boomeranging round the tail lights and chunky coupe roof line. The inside is clean and grown-up. Highly desirable.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/deals/polestar/2

Aston Vantage Roadster

Ignore, if you can, the styling disaster that is the interior of Astons these days and focus instead on one of the most beautiful car silhouettes of all time. The huge wheels dominate the body which creeps in a thin line over the top, staying low on the horizon, Our test car was bullet grey with a red fabric roof: outstanding.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/aston-martin/vantage

Lamborghini Huracan Evo

Lamborghinis are best known for being bonkers rather than beautiful, but the Huracan Evo is perfectly formed and looks utterly splendid in pale blue with a dark red roof and tan leather seats inside. (Check out the Female Advisory Board - FAB - podcast series featuring some inspiring women at future.fab.lamborghini/).

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/lamborghini/huracan

McLaren GT

The GT, the most female-friendly McLaren to date, takes the standard McLaren swoops and curves and elongates the body, like a wild cat stretching out, with all the feline grace that image implies. It’s wide, bold and striking, with more space and comfort inside than ever before.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/mclaren/gt

Mazda3

Mazda, the Japanese brand that makes the MX-5 sports car, flies under the radar much of the time but the new Mazda3 family hatchback looks great, especially in the brand’s deep metallic red that sparkles in the sunlight. It drives nicely too, with great petrol engines.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/mazda/mazda3

Ford Mach-E

That makes two sexy SUVs on this list, but at opposite ends of the spectrum. While the Defender builds on a solid lifestyle legacy, the Mach-E celebrates the dynamic future of electric power with a very sporty take on the world’s favourite car shape: the SUV. We can’t wait to drive it early in 2022.

Choose yours here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/content/news/mustang-mach-e-video-preview

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, looks at DS-Automobiles new plug-in hybrid SUV...

We’ve talked about DS before, when we reviewed the DS3. In essence, this little French premium brand celebrates all things Parisian with its styling: even its trim levels are named after areas of the city, and colours are the deep plush tones of burgundies, oranges and metallic hues. The DS 7 E-tense is a large SUV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Price

DS models aren’t cheap: underneath the skin is Citroen architecture but DS layers the leather and high-quality plastics on top of that, and redesigns the seats and buttons to offer a far plusher cabin. The DS 7 E-Tense starts at £56,075, and our model came in at £58,920. Scout around for decent monthly finance deals but you’ll be looking at about £400-£500 a month with a minimal deposit. Annual road tax is £145 and it sits in insurance group 39E.

Don’t forget that in order to keep running costs as low as possible you’ll need to be disciplined about recharging.

Style

This is the DS 7’s strong point. Our test car was black, with black surrounds, and looked the business. Plenty of passers-by stared, wondering what make it was, with its fancy headlights and streaking rear lights. When you unlock the car, the front individual LED lights swivel 180 degrees before they light up, which is a neat trick that will draw gasps from onlookers.

Inside, our seats were clad in black nappa leather in DS’s famous watch-strap design, with chunky strips interwoven, which looks excellent. The buttons and graphics all carry the brand’s diamond shape - while it works for the graphics, it’s overwhelming for the buttons and switches.

Tech

Unfortunately for DS, it is saddled with the Peugeot/Citroen/Vauxhall infotainment system, which is truly awful, and about 10 years behind the times. The satnav simply doesn’t work: there are few distinguishable features or named roads or information about traffic conditions - the screen is just a pattern of straggly lines to denote roads.

The DAB and phone settings are better but none of the graphics are very pleasing. Yo do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging for a smartphone and two USB sockets in the back, which isn’t bad.

Comfort

Again, DS excels here. Citroen is renowned for building comfy cars, so the DS 7 starts with a good solid base and builds from there. It’s a large, wide SUV but with only five seats there is plenty of room for tall adults and good visibility all round. The car is soft and quiet on motorways, and the driving position is very user-friendly.

Our car had dark tinted rear windows and heated and massaging front seats. Even the rear seats recline electrically and there’s a rear arm rest, too. The boot floor has two levels and a chrome lip and plenty of space for all manner of stuff.

Power

The “E-Tense” label denotes the electrified part, and the DS 7 is the first DS car to offer plug-in hybrid technology. There’s a 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 13.2kWh battery, driving power to all four wheels. The combined power output is 300 horsepower, which means 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds via an 8-speed automatic gearbox - pretty rapid for a large SUV. The battery takes one hour and 45 minutes to charge and is good for at least 30 miles of electric motoring - 35 miles if you’re lucky, which is excellent.

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

The problem with electric cars (alongside the cost and the awful public-charging experience), is that you can’t really claim the moral high round, either. Yes, you’re not polluting the air with nasty diesel and petrol fumes, but the electricity to power your car has to come from somewhere, and that’s largely still coal-fired power stations. Plus, it’s just your car - what about the rest of your life?

For those looking to really go the whole sustainability hog, and align their lifestyles as closely as possible to a responsible ideal largely powered by renewables, a little pocket of the Lake District may hold the answer.

Along the shores of Haweswater, right in the deep, dark heart of the Lakes, crouches a solid little warehouse, built of local slate. Inside, it has been fully renovated, in glorious industrial chic, to provide holiday accommodation for six people. The work has been thankfully sympathetic to the building’s heritage - the iron skeleton of the warehouse is still visible, but now surrounded by leather couches, bare wood, brass, glass and rugs.

Outside, winking among the waterside trees in the autumnal gloaming, sits a Tesla supercharger. The link between this Californian car company and a Cumbrian holiday let is Powerwall, which manufactures rechargeable home batteries. In the day, they store solar energy from your home’s panels, and at night heat your home. In typical fashion, the storage units dotted about the house look super cool - simple glossy white boxes with a discrete “Tesla” printed on them in contemporary script.

Typically, a home will produce more solar energy that it can use, so Powerwall stores it and feeds it into the house on demand. The result takes your house off the grid as much as possible, by generating, storing and using solar energy. When teamed up with a Tesla car and Tesla supercharger on your driveway, that solar power will feed into the car. And hey presto - you really do have the moral high ground over the vast, vast majority of electric-car owners out there, because the electric power for your car comes from the sun. If there isn’t any sun for days, Powerwall will eventually draw from the grid, but will use off-peak power as much as possible.

To see what the view’s really like from the sunny uplands of moral rectitude, my partner and I took our four boys from Kent to the little house at Haweswater in a Tesla Model X. That’s a journey of 344 miles each way. Even with the Model X fully charged before we set off, we had to charge again at Charnock Services on the M6 for half an hour. While you can’t shrink the charging time to equal that of refuelling a petrol car, the whole charging process with a Tesla is as pain-free as electric charging gets. For a start, once you programme the route, Tesla’s satnav will pinpoint all the superchargers en route. Touch one on the map, and a little box will pop up telling you how many chargers are there and how many are free at that moment. Thus we knew not to stop at Keele but carry on to Warwick services on the way home, where more were free. Thanks to Tesla’s games arcade on the huge touchscreen, the 30-minute wait is a breeze for kids - ours had just got going on a split-screen virtual race when we had to call time and continue the journey, fully charged. They also loved programming the indicator signal to Santa’s sleigh bells when their dad wasn’t looking. He loved the gag slightly less.

Once up at our sustainable waterside bolthole, one charge gave us plenty of juice for three days of pottering around Keswick, Ambleside and Grasmere, munching on gingerbread, cream teas and Kendal Mint Cake, and striding up Catbells and Watendlath in cold sunshine. In the evenings, we ran hot baths, flicked through Sky on the huge TV, cooked roasts in the oven and boiled the kettle for hot chocolates, while watching the Tesla suck up juice in the mountainous darkness outside. The house was warm and snug, with no flicker of weakness in the Powerwall solar supply.

Reluctantly, we packed up and left for Kent on a stunning Sunday morning, the sheep dazzling white dots on the brackish hillside, walkers already stretching their legs on the ridge above us. That evening, back at home, we marvelled at the distance we’d traveled and the experiences we’d all had, for such a small carbon footprint. And understood, for the first time, what the awful cliche, “living your best life” might really be all about.

Erin Baker stayed at Aquila, by Unique Homestays

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, checks out Jeep's first ever plug-in hybrid...

The baby, more lifestyle-focused Jeep of the range, the Renegade, has received the plug-in-hybrid treatment. It couldn’t be further away from the world’s first 4x4, the bare-knuckled 1941 Willys-Overland Jeep. Now you can off-road in electric mode, which feels weird, or simply enjoy better fuel economy and emissions on the road. Just remember to charge it overnight….

Price

Prices start at £32,600 for the Longitude version, rising to £36,500 for the Trailhawk one. Most people will opt for a monthly finance deal, either PCP or a straight-forward lease deal. If you have a company car allowance, plug-in hybrids make a lot of sense right now. For example, someone buying their Renegade 4XE for personal use, would pay £374 a month if paying 45 per cent tax. That comes down to £138 a month for business users, because of the government incentives to choose an alternatively fuelled vehicle. if you’re disciplined about charging your car at home every night, you should be able to do most daily trips in electric-only mode, meaning the cost of “fuelling” your car drops considerably.

Style

The Renegade merges the boxy, upright style of the bigger Wrangler with soft edges, reflecting its creature-comfort appeal. It comes in a variety of vivid colours, although we liked the gunmetal grey of our top-spec Trailhawk version. If you pay the extra for this version, there’s also the option of a matt green and vivid orange.

Design cues which tell you this is the hybrid version include blue badges and separate port for the plug on the passenger side.

Inside, the first two trim levels get glossy black surrounds on the air vents and speakers, while these are red on the top Trailhawk model. The rest swings towards the utilitarian side of things, with a small 8in screen, hard plastics and big dials.

Tech

You get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto ad DAB radio as standard, as well as forward collision warning and land-departure warning systems. There’s speed assist, traffic-sign recognition and front and rear parking sensors, too.

Options include blind-spot detection, a rear camera, park assist and keyless entry.

Comfort

We found a disconcerting boom inside the cabin with the windows shut, a sort of low pressure which made us feel a bit nauseuous. But maybe we were just off colour that day. In terms of interior space, think hatchback rather than estate, for leg room. The SUV’s upright stance, however, means there’s a lot of headroom for four adults. The boot is average but the electric battery pack doesn’t interfere with space because it’s hidden under the rear seats. The boot has an adjustable floor and you can fit a spare wheel underneath.

Power

The battery gives up to 26 miles of electric-only driving, and works up to 81mph. Other cars such as the Volvo XC90 and BMW X5 PHEV provide up to 30 miles’ range, but they’re bigger and more expensive cars. There are two power outputs to choose from: 190 horsepower for the Longitude and Limited versions, or 240 horsepower for the Trailhawk. Unless you only ever potter round town at 30mph, you’ll want the 240 horsepower Trailhawk - the others just feel too weak.

You get four-wheel drive and a system of off-roading options. We took the Renegade up and down muddy, rutted, wet Welsh hillsides and it coped far better than we imagined, conquering most of the sort of trails you test a Land Rover on. Hardly surprising, given Jeep’s heritage, but the Renegade is styled more for urban living.

We’re fond of the Jeep brand, with its phenomenal history, but if we were buying one, we’d go for the gorgeous, desirable Wrangler rather than the Renegade, which lacks the Wrangler’s innate charm. So bring on a hybrid Wrangler.

Thinking of trading in your petrol-fuelled car for an electric model? Marie Claire's Editor-in-Chief Andrea Thompson reveals why she made the switch and has never looked back

‘If we’re serious about saving the planet, we need to start at home,’ or so I’m reminded by my Attenborough-adoring sons aged 8 and 5. Like mini eco-warriors, they've taken to checking the recycling bin after dinner and berate me with ‘what about the turtles?’ when I forget my reusable bags on shopping trips. For them, it is simple; it’s up to us, to take steps - however small - and be part of the change. And they are right.

It was, in a large part, down to them that two years ago this month we made the big ‘power shift’ trading in our regular gas guzzling estate for a purely electric car. I was tired of justifying our old car as a necessity when in fact we were contributing to the ‘toxic air’ crisis in London and other options were readily available. For me, going electric felt like a symbol of intent to do better, and do more. It said, ‘we’re not perfect, but we’re trying’. It made us as a family more determined to kickstart other eco-friendly steps in our lives.

Back in 2018, when we bought a BMWi3s, the recognisable black and white models like our one were pretty rare on the streets and drew curious looks. People often approached us to ask how it worked and looked incredulous when we told them how cheap it was to run ( £2 per 100 miles versus the average petrol equivalent of £12). Neighbours peered suspiciously at us from windows as we plugged it into our mains at night leaving a trailing wire from our letter box to the street, while friends rolled their eyes when we banged on about being exempt from congestion charges. However there was something satisfying about being able to tell the school warden who glared at us as we dropped the kids at the gate that in fact we were not adding to the toxic fume pile up that snaked down the road. We had 'gone green'.

Today, it's not hard to see why so many of the UK population have bought into the electric car revolution. There’s a lot to be said for being able to travel into central London’s congestion zone on a Saturday and park in Covent Garden for lunch for free.

The electric car market is growing quickly, with more than 164,100 pure-electric cars currently on UK roads. Lockdown has only accelerated this with more people now reporting an interest in making the switch. Who can blame them? Lockdown has been a period of great reflection. Many of us have found ourselves questioning the choices we have made in our lives - from our shopping habits to our career choices (hours at home within the same four walls will do that to you). We’ve taken to community forums to trade in second hand goods, swapped unused food with our neighbours and used this great pause as an opportunity to consider our overall rates of consumption and how we can do better. In a world full of uncertainty where our careers, finances and social lives are shifting daily, there is something empowering about taking control over the small positive steps you can take towards doing your bit for the planet.

For us, the car triggered a more considered attitude to the environment that has only accelerated this year. I’ve always considered myself environmentally conscious - I try to shop sustainably, take 3 minute showers, reuse my coffee cup, and avoid unnecessary plastic where I can. But like many working parents, my good intentions can be sabotaged by my frantic diary. It's an effort when you're busy to make eco-friendly decisions when you live your life on the hoof and cram to much into every hour.

The car made has made us more determined as parents to make considered choices. This summer, for the first time, we took our family holiday to Provence by Eurostar instead of plane and I now keep a carbon calculator on my phone. Of course I haven't given up flying for good and still often look at the plastic wrapped products in my fridge and wince, but I’m taking steps to do what I can. Because as we say at Marie Claire, just because you can't do everything, it doesn't mean you should do nothing. Its tough not to be overwhelmed by how much there is to do. But we can all take a step towards positive change, so let's get on with it.

This article is in partnership with Gumtree, which this month has launched a #20DaysToBetterWays challenge encouraging everyone to make at least one small change to help make an impact on the environment and the world we live in.

Supercars are all the rage right now, so we spoke to Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, about what makes Maserati's swanky new car stand out from the crowd

Is this the most beautiful supercar launched in 2020? We’d say very possibly. It’s the new Maserati MC20, unveiled earlier this month in Modena, Maserati’s home city in Italy.

If you’re looking to spend £150,000-£200,000 on a fast car, you could, of course, opt for a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren or Audi R8, but this Maserati makes them all seem a bit…obvious.

It’s been decades since Maserati last built a desirable high-performance supercar: it’s been busy trying to sell its Levante SUV and Ghibli saloon. But here’s a Mazzer we can all drool over, with its white paintwork, slinky roofline, graceful curves and simple bodywork. There’s something about a rare Italian supercar that just makes passers-by stop and sigh in a way they don’t if a McLaren passes.

It’s been launched with a V6 petrol engine producing 630 horsepower, but, more temptingly, there’s an electric version to follow, as well as a convertible option.

For all its soft styling, it’s a serious supercar: top speed of over 200mph, 0-62mph in under 3.0 seconds and the engine sited in the middle of the car, for the best possible balance and handling.

Inside, the softness disappears, replaced by two large, curved seats to hold you through the corners and wrapped in a mixture of leather and suede, strafed with sharp lines of electric-blue fabric (there are an impress array of choices - you could for example choose tan leather seats and red and white fabric inserts, or whatever takes your fancy, courtesy of Maserati’s Fuoriserie bespoke division).

There’s an eight-speed automatic gearbox with flappy paddles on the steering wheel and two large screens that show your smartphone functions or can hook you up to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

This retro looking car certainly makes a statement on the streets, but is it worth the hefty price tag? We asked Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, to explain what makes this ride so special

This oddball British sportscar manufacturer, based in Malvern, Worcestershire, has been building the two-seat Morgan Plus Four sports car for half a century. With its Fifties charm, and niche appeal it certainly makes a statement. But what exactly does it say?

Price

It’s not cheap. In fact, it’s eye-wateringly expensive. We know it’s handcrafted in Malvern by a tight-knit group of loyal employees taking time and care etc, but £78,369 for a two-seater with very little luggage space and no creature comforts? We’d rather take a £25,000 Caterham Seven for etc same thrills and a £40,000 BMW 3-Series for practicality and comfort. Odd to reference a BMW in this context? Read on…

Style

The design is unashamedly retro, harking back to a Wind in the Willows and Enid Blyton era of running boards and parp-parp Mr Toad motoring on England’s highways and byways.

The view through the windscreen is fabulous, a long cream bonnet stretching away down the road, curling up over the wheels. Three little old-fashioned windscreen wipers sweep the glass window.

But the inside is bare and unwelcoming, with a long bare black glossy transmission tunnel housing the massive BMW automatic gear-lever (yuck. A manual is available), a black steering wheel that looks like it’s missing badges, a 90s, basic, square digital display behind the wheel for speed and three large analogue dials with tiny figures on them that you struggle to read. We had a mulberry-tone leather inside but the combo with the black was too dark.

Tech

There’s very little on board - again, why not have a Caterham, in that case? No radio, no smartphone connection, no satnav, nothing. Optional extras consist of things like embroidered headrests, puddle lighting and air-con, but we’d rather have a DAB radio really.

Comfort

The suspension is more compliant than it used to be, so your teeth don’t rattle when you go over broken surfaces. But it’s loud and drafty, which Morgan Plus Four owners love, but we don’t. With the rood down, on a sunny day, it’s nicer, and you can even remove the door panels to have the total Morgan wind-in-hair experience which is much fun, but with roof up it’s the opposite, especially on a motorway in the dark, where we found ourselves - the blind spot is awful - when changing lanes you have to shut your eyes and pray there’s no car you haven’t seen right by your side.

Power

This is the only fun part, really. Under that Morgan Plus Four bonnet there’s a BMW 2.0-litre engine with a turbo which woofles and puffs joyously in the open air, and you shoot off down the road at a sporty lick which is giggle-inducing. It has 255 horsepower but weighs little more than a tonne so the result is rapid acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, and that’s proper sports-car territory. If only the rest of it was.

What are the factors you look for when swiping right on Tinder? Good style, attractiveness, a lovely smile - but how about a certain brand of car…

Words by Maya Coomarasamy

With more people than ever turning to dating apps as the safest way to date during the pandemic, it’s becoming increasingly harder to make your profile stand out amongst the masses and enjoy the Tinder matches you truly deserve.

From a quick scan of a profile, users can learn a lot about a potential partner - from their favourite band, to where they went to school. But how much are we swayed by the more unconventional features that make up a dating profile? 

Click4Reg, a number plate specialist, decided to put this to the test and see whether a specific car brand in your photo could impact the likelihood of scoring a date. By creating multiple profiles with the same man and woman standing in front of different makes of car, they were able to see which generated the most Tinder matches.

The top car for Tinder matches

With a success rate of a whopping 72.6% and bagging the top spot, was the Mercedes-Benz-C-Class, which brought in 218 out of 300 possible matches. The popular car could set you ahead of the competition, especially in Liverpool, where 44% of people interviewed admitted that they were more likely to swipe right on a user with a fancy car.

In second place, and carrying a significantly heftier price tag, was the Land Rover Range Rover Sport, which generated 213 swipes. As the most expensive car tested, a three course meal (and a bottle of champers, perhaps?) might be expected alongside a match with any owners of this car.

Proving that you don’t need a costly ride to bag a date is the third most popular car was the Volkswagen Polo. This compact car made it into the top five most popular cars for both men and women, selling from £15,068. 

Amongst the popular cars tested, the Toyota Yaris generated the least amount of potential suitors, with only 151 out of 300 people swiping right. The survey further showed that 33% of people would be turned off by an outdated car, and that 1 in 4 would go as far as to rent a car to take a photo with for their profile - wow...

Here are the top 5 most attractive cars for men and women: 

The most popular cars amongst women: 

1. Mercedes-Benz- C-Class 
2. Land Rover Range Rover Sport 
3. BMW Series 3 
4. Audi A3 
5. Volkswagen Polo 

And for men:

1. Land Rover Range Rover 
2. Audi A3
3. Volkswagen Polo 
4. Mercedes-Benz-C-Class 
5. Fiat 500 

Whilst a car is a wonderful added bonus, make sure that ultimately you are the star of your own online dating profile. People are looking for a partner, after all, not a car dealership owner.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, gives us the low-down on the top 5 car accessories of 2020

Your car is just the starting point these days: we’re all about leisurewear, staycations, the great outdoors, active lifestyles and dogs, so how you accessorise your wheels and what car accessories you use are two burning questions.

Here are our top 5 car accessories for 2020

Land Rover Defender roof tent

Price: £3,081 plus local taxes

Land Rover has teamed up with Autohome to create a bespoke pop-up tent that rises from a slim box on top of the Defender to reveal a cotton double mattress with pillows, LED light and stowage net for belongings. There are side and rear windows.

Jaguar Activity Key

Price: £300

It might seem like a gimmick, but believe us, you’ll love it. If you are a surfer, jogger, roller-blader, hiker, paddle boarder or cyclist, you’ll know how annoying it is when you park up, head off into the great outdoors and suddenly wonder what you’re going to do with the car key. Jag has invented one in a waterproof plastic wristband - hold it up to the Jaguar badge and it’ll lock the car, then head off for your swim. Wear it like a FitBit and unlock the car when you return. Easy peasy.

Skoda roof box

Price: £375

It’s slim, and rocks a serious aerodynamic silhouette, but somehow we still managed to fit in four sleeping bags, six wetsuits, a fishing rod and two bin liners of beach towels. The twisting knobs to tighten and release it from the roof bars are inside the box, so from the outside it just seems to float on the rails.

Skoda is the master of accessories - its cars come with umbrellas in the doors and ice scrapers inside the fuel cap. And its bicycle rack is very easy to use. Genius.

Volvo dog harness

Price: £60

With sizes for every breed from miniature Daschund to German Shepherd, you’ll find a Volvo harness for your dog. The brand invented the three-point safety belt for humans; now it’s created comfy, padded harnesses to keep dogs from sliding about inside the car. Our black Labrador was very content in the back on the XC60.

Rolls-Royce Picnic Hamper

Price; on request

The perfect accompaniment to the Cullinan SUV, the picnic hamper is more than a pair of wicker handles and some chequered napkins. It includes crystal wine glasses, Wedgwood crockery, and handmade cutlery, all encased in an oiled teak, saddle-leather and aluminium box.

What's it like to be behind the wheel of the sports car of the electric age? Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, finds out...

Experts called the electric, four-seat Porsche Taycan a game-changing sports car when it was launched, but what does that mean? There are plenty of electric vehicles about now, and many of them have the range and luxury feel of the Porsche, so how does it justify the price tag, and can it take the race to Tesla?

Price

The Taycan is expensive. It starts at £84,189 for the standard 4S, becoming more expensive if you choose the Turbo or Turbo S, which will take you well over £100,000. Porsche also charges for cables which comes as a surprise. Once you’ve parted with the cash, however, you can relax because running a Taycan Turbo will be far cheaper than running, say a 911 Turbo. From road tax to Benefit In Kind for company drivers, to congestion charges, the savings of running an electric car are everywhere. Best of all, for a high-performance car which would normally guzzle petrol like it’s the last cocktail standing, electricity is much cheaper to come by, especially if you charge overnight on a domestic charging point with an off-peak tariff.

Style

The Taycan is an absolute head-turner, looking vaguely like a Porsche Panamera to the initiated but something from the future to those not familiar with the brand. It hunkers low on the road, with mean LEDs and vertical aero slats in the bodywork oozing presence at the front, while the back retains the familiar low roofline and light bar of brake lights from the Porsche family.

Inside, the driver is cocooned by black leather, black gloss and black glass panels displaying the myriad graphics and functions. It feels very serious and Germanic, as all Porsches do, and is undoubtedly a statement of the dynamic intent of the car. It’s a bit scary, if we’re honest, and no doubt Porsche intended it to be. No laughing matter, when you’re in a car this seriously good.

Tech

The Taycan is unapologetic about the amount of tech on board: you’re swamped by read-outs, either from the digital dials behind the steering wheel, the warning lights in the glass frame, the infotainment buttons in the screen on the dash or the air con on the glass panel below the dash. There are more buttons on the steering wheel.

We’ve always found all this a bit overwhelming, even back to the days when Porsches had actual buttons instead of haptic graphics behind glass.

You get voice control (if you don’t mind saying “hey, Porsche!” every time), Apple CarPlay, a 10-speaker system, and a list of options that includes night vision, massage and ventilation for the seats and an app to help you plan journeys and charging points.

Comfort

The Taycan is surprisingly comfy. You sit low on the road but the luxurious air suspension carries you softly over broken surfaces. There’s room in the back for two adults to travel long distances, thanks to sculpted seats, but head room might be an issue for taller people. You can pay extra for a middle seat but that’s really only for children. The boot offers space for shopping or a mini adventure; it’s pretty much what you’d expect for a four-seat sports car.

Thanks to the electric powertrain, it’s a quiet, unruffled experience at speed, rather than passengers having to endure the boom of a highly tuned petrol engine, which is the normal Porsche experience.

Power

This is what sets the Porsche Taycan apart. Teslas are as fast, the Jaguar I-Pace is as luxurious, but no one has yet created a new electric sports car with room for four adults that feels so polished in its performance. The Taycan takes all of Porsche’s engineering knowhow and takes it to the next level. The car is rapid off the line, like all electric cars but then it just keeps on accelerating. The steering is sharp but heavy which in turn makes it feel high quality, and the nose tucks neatly into corners so you can throw it around, especially if you’ve got the optional four-wheel steering for extra accuracy.

If you’re tempted, we urge you to take a test drive - this is the new benchmark in electric performance.

Artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear, Virgil Abloh, has unveiled his latest project: a stylish spin on a classic Mercedes-Benz

Heard of Project Gelandewagen? If not, then listen up.

Announced back in July, Project Gelandewagen is a celebration of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (recognised as an off-roading staple). To ring in its fourth decade, Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Mercedes-Benz, had something special planned – a collaboration with world renowned fashion designer Virgil Abloh.

Working together on a one-off project, the creatives decided to push the boundaries by crossing the G-Class with a race car design – marking the unification of the fashion and art world with the automotive realm.

Speaking at the virtual launch of the car today, Abloh revealed, ‘I like things that stand out in the crowd.’ The G-Class, he continued, which is normally used for off-roading, has an ‘unassuming silhouette’ that one might expect to be better suited ‘for the mountain.’ To switch up the design, they looked to NASCAR for inspiration. ‘We played with this freedom of cross-pollinating different attributes of race cars and car design’, he said.

 Just before you get carried away imagining yourself racing down the motorway, the car’s not driveable – with Abloh viewing his contribution as a homage to the arts at a critical time.

Both Mercedes-Benz and Abloh feel compelled to shine a light on the creative industry, with a smaller replica of the car being auctioned off at Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated sale to support an arts organisation. Advanced bidding begins on 14^th September.

‘My ultimate goal in this project with Mercedes-Benz is inspiring young artists, engineers, designers to question the status quo, in addition to experimenting with my own design abilities, said Abloh.

‘For me it’s all about providing opportunities for those coming after me and giving this next generation a foundation for success.’

Project Geländewagen kick started when the celebrated fashion designer and artist, who founded the luxury Off-White label before joining Louis Vuitton, got in touch with Wagener and expressed interest in collaborating on a new project. They settled on a new concept inspired by the Mercedes-AMG G 63 model, and began envisioning how it would look on the racing track.

‘We wanted to put the G into a completely different environment’, Wagener said. ‘Everybody puts it off road…that’s already there. So we did the opposite. We put it down to the ground and put big racing tires on it.’

Speaking of the collaboration, Bettina Fetzer, Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes Benz AG, said: ‘Teaming up with Virgil Abloh, one of the most influential and inspiring creatives of our time, represents Mercedes-Benz´ idea of Zeitgeist, co-creation and contemporary luxury – for both our products and our brand.’

‘By launching Project Geländewagen now we hope to inspire collaboration and creativity in our global audience’, she continued.

For further information about Mercedes-Benz, visit www.mercedes-benz.com

Vibrant, powerful and certainly not one for shrinking violets - Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, takes a spin in Lamborghini's latest offering

Is this the best Italian supercar you can buy right now? With a stunning colour palette, room for the shopping and enough thrills to last a lifetime, thanks to the “Evo” bit, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo might just be.

Price

If you have to ask… Actually, the Huracan is Lamborghini’s base model. The price hike comes with the “Evo” bit, which denotes extra performance, and all the extras you’ll want to add. The car starts at £186,000, but expect to pay over £200,000. Our stunning test car, for example, was coated in a marine-blue matt paint job (£11,250), smatterings of carbon-fibre (£2,710), glossy black bumper bits (£2,440), and extra mechanical bits like the special lifting suspension to raise the nose for speed humps (£4,860). Add on to that the hefty insurance, low fuel economy and a £1,000 service, and you won’t have much left for your daily skinny latte.

Style

Lamborghinis are not for shrinking violets: if you want subtle, you’ll probably buy a Ferrari. Lambos are truly bonkers and thank the heavens for that - why spend all that money on power and noise if you don’t want to shout about it?

Our car matched the pale matt blue paintwork with a red roof and brown tan leather seats. Some onlookers thought it was too much: we thought it was perfect.

The low, aggressive, wide stance shrieks dominance of the road. Everyone stares, everyone pulls out an iPhone for videos and photos, everyone smiles and gawps. It’s a rare, wonderful experience.

Tech

Supercars aren’t known for being at the forefront of connectivity: the assumption is that you want the car for its speed, not its ability to hold a conference call (good luck with any calls, with that exhaust noise). You have to pay an extra £2,440 for the privilege of a smartphone interface and connectivity, but at least the service is good: VW Group owns Lamborghini so the user experience is a good one. You get USB slots, a good sound system (although the noise of the engine is better) and the whole system is designed in hexagon-shaped graphics to mirror the design all over the car.

Comfort

The Lamborghini Huracan Evo is surprisingly spacious for a truly hardcore supercar. It’s wide enough with enough leg room for two adults to sit comfortably on long journeys, and the suspension isn’t as rock solid as you might think. There’s a deep boot underneath the bonnet (engine at the back) and we bunged end-of-term school bags and PE kits for two boys in easily.

You get dual-zone air-conditioning, heated seats, foot mats, and an ambient light package. There’s zero visibility out of the rear, thanks to the engine sitting high behind you, but the wing mirrors provide enough indication of what’s going on around you, and we like to operate on the assumption that it’s up to other people to get out of the way of a supercar. front and rear cameras are an option.

Power

This is still the thing you buy this car for. Lamborghinis are traditionally four-wheel drive but this is the rear-wheel-drive version so it’s lighter, more rapid and potentially trickier/more fun in the wet. With 610bhp on tap, and 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds, it’s an incredible piece of machinery. You’ll run out of road way before it does. But, despite this more hardcore appeal, it’s very easy to drive at 30mph around town. And that’s the joy, really. Throw the roof down, drop the windows, rev the crackling exhaust, and cruise around all day, face to the sun.

Electric car prices seem absurdly high, but we’ve been looking at how much an electric car will really cost you to run. Hint: it’s good news

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

You’d be forgiven for thinking that an electric car is well beyond your pockets, even if every other concern - range anxiety, how and where to recharge it - were taken care of. However, the cost of owning and running a car goes beyond the monthly amount that exits your bank balance, stage left, pursued by a dealer.

If maths isn’t your strong point, fear no longer - we (well, Auto Trader, actually - we’ve nicked their homework) have done all the sums so you don’t have to.

Price tag of an electric car

This is the biggest pain point, and from this position, electric cars look like a no-no. Take any small electric car - Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Honda e, Renault Zoe, Mini Electric - and the price tag will be somewhere between £25,000 and £30,000. You can buy a BMW 3-Series for that. Or, put another way, you can buy a new petrol Vauxhall Corsa for half the price of the electric version. And with less hassle, too. When you remember that these prices are AFTER the Government’s £3,000 subsidy, the whole thing looks ridiculous. Let’s not even go as far as the bigger electric cars - the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Porsche Taycan and so on, all of which have very hefty prices tags indeed, heading into the £70,000s.

It doesn’t get any better for used electric cars - the average price of a used EV (electric vehicle) on Auto Trader in May was £25,866, compared with £12,707 for a used petrol car. But….

Monthly price

Things start to look immediately better when you follow 90 per cent of the British motoring population, and take out a finance package. Let’s take that Peugeot 208, mentioned above. According to Auto Trader’s calculations, if you buy the electric version, the e-208, in the GT-line trim, on finance, you’ll actually save £1,692 over a three-year payment plan - the e-208 will cost you £47 a month less. The DS3 Crossback e-Tense will also cost you less than the petrol version in Performance Line trim, as will the Mini Electric compared with the Cooper S petrol version.

The electric Vauxhall Corsa-e, meanwhile, will cost you more - about £60 a month more (depending on the terms and deposit for your plan) - but, when you factor in the noticeably lower running costs and incentives (below), you could end up cancelling out that extra £60 and saving money. Which leads us to…

Free stuff with an electric car

The Government, various quangos and politicians, local authorities, car brands and car dealers are all desperately keen for you to buy an electric car. So there are some sweeteners on offer. Buy a car this year, and there’s no road tax to pay. Or congestion charge in cities. Or Benefit In Kind tax (BIK) if it’s your business car.

Many brands are also throwing in a free home-charging wallbox, which you’d pay about £500 to fit otherwise, or a year’s free subscription to a public charging network (take the wallbox…). And this stuff leads us to…

The actual cost of owning an electric car

This is called the Total Cost of Ownership (ToC) in technical language. This is where you start to claw back that heavy initial outlay. For a start, if you charge your car at home, you’ll probably pay about £20 for a full charge, that will take you 200-240 miles. That's half what the petrol could cost you for the same distance. If you switch your energy tariff to a provider that does one for electric cars, and set the timer on your car to charge between midnight and 5am, you could see that cost half again, to the point where 240 miles is costing you something like £11, which is insanely good value.

Someone worked out their new Honda e electric car cost them £1 for every 24 miles. There aren’t many public transport options that would charge you as little.

Then there’s cheaper servicing, and fewer expensive parts to go wrong. It all starts to add up. Factor in the convenience of charging at home while you sleep every night, and we think electric cars start to look the business.

As the government announces that driverless cars could be on our motorways by next year, we asked Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, about the potential dangers of this life-changing technology

How do you feel about being driven at 70mph in the slow lane of the motorway by your car, with no input required from you? Happily ready to embrace the idea, or think it sounds horribly dangerous? Welcome to the next step in our inexorable march towards a Jetsons style future of automated pods carrying mankind to their destinations: hands-free driving. This could be a reality as early as spring next year, following a Government consultation on new autonomous technology, which was announced this week.

Most of us are already driving cars with some degree of automation: active cruise control (the car maintains a set distance from the car in front by controlling the braking and acceleration, up to your set speed) and lane-departure warning systems (the car will steer you back into lane if you cross the white markings without indicating) are both examples of autonomous technology and exist either as standard or an option on the majority of new models out there.

If you currently drive a Tesla, or Volvo, you may have experienced Auto Pilot, or Pilot Assist, which combines all the above functions to essentially drive the car for you, with the crucial caveat that you have your hands on the steering wheel at all times.

The new proposals take all that technology a step further, however, by allowing the driver to have his or her hands off the steering wheel. The car will do the driving, and will let you know when it is handing back control to you.

For many, this sounds like a brilliant evolution: the technology should save lives because it can react quicker than a human to an imminent collision, and it should ease traffic jams because there won’t be so much sudden braking due to a lapse in driver attention. It will also help when the driver is tired or distracted.

Ask yourself, however, why the technology is being rolled out on motorways first. The answer is simply because these are the UK’s safest roads statistically, with very few hazards such as pedestrians, dogs or cyclists. The self-driving tech should cope with going in a straight line alongside other vehicles all going in the same direction, with few changes of speed, and no roundabouts, traffic lights or tricky junctions. Apply the same technology in London, Manchester or Birmingham, however, and it’s doubtful the technology will cope.

In fact, what will undoubtedly unfold is a host of small collisions, which raises the major reason why hands-free driving has not become a reality much sooner (manufacturers have been capable of putting the systems into cars for years now): liability. Who will be to blame if the self-driving car crashes while in autonomous mode? The car manufacturer, software provider or driver? Will the driver argue that the car misread the situation, or that it was in the grey area of handing control back to the driver, or that rain obscured the sensors? Will insurers pay out or argue the toss?

Perhaps even more importantly, the hands-free driving technology will need to be 101 per cent fool proof, and at the moment it isn’t. As a car reviewer, I’ve driven every major car on sale today, and have had several near misses with these systems in recent months. On one occasion, hurtling along the outside lane of a curving dual carriageway at 70mph, the car mistook the road’s solid white line for a broken white lane marking, and thought I was about to stray into the next lane, so pulled me to the left, across my lane and half into the (thankfully empty) inside lane.

Undoubtedly the UK car industry needs a shot in the arm to revive its flagging post-Covid fortunes, and the Government’s decision to progress with this tech provides it. The consultation period will be vital to iron out the challenges posed by liability, but let’s hope it achieves clarification and agreement, because the car industry is a vital laboratory for significant research into Artificial Intelligence, and we all stand to benefit from roads with fewer injuries and mortalities.

Erin Baker is Editorial Director at Auto-Trader. You can listen to her discussing this topic on BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio London and Channel 5 News on catch-up. 

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

While most electric cars are designed to look a bit futuristic, the Honda e has won over hearts with a distinctly retro vibe. A cute combo of small, chunky looks, simple lines, circular LED headlights and vibrant paint made this dinky city car an instant success. It won’t take you far between charges, however, making it an urban runaround, but won’t take long to recharge, either. Think of it as a smartphone rather than laptop - small and convenient, with frequent charges - and you won’t go wrong.

Price

The Honda e starts at £26,980, rising to £29,160 for the higher Advance trim level. Those prices already include the £3,000 government grant. That puts the car on a par (slightly cheaper, in fact) with the likes of the similar Vauxhall Corsa-e, Peugeot e-208 and Mini Electric. On a monthly finance plan, you’ll be looking at around £340 a month with a deposit of about £2,000.

Don’t forget, however, the much lower ownership costs of an electric car: zero congestion charge and road tax, less servicing and parts to go wrong, and the heater cost of electricity compared to petrol or diesel. You will, however, want a home-charging point, which will cost you about £500.

Style

This car is all about style. We thought nothing could beat a Mini for the ultimate in distinctive design, but then along came this little box of delights. Outside, as mentioned above, the car tells a glossy, Fifties retro design story, with a glass roof on the upper trim level, and a huge shiny black door in the bonnet that pops open to reveal the charging point. Honda has made it a real design quirk of the car, to celebrate its electric credentials.

There is one very futuristic detail: no wing mirrors, Instead, there is a protected camera on each door with the display on a screen at each end of the dashboard. The cameras are coated and protected against the weather, and give you a better view in the dark than traditional mirrors.

Inside (the door handles pop out as you approach with the key), there’s lots of open-grain wood and grey lounge fabrics, to create a homely, relaxed vibe. The bench seat in the rear is covered in the same fabric as the doors and the seatbelts are a pale brown.

Tech

The connectivity in the Honda e is yet another step change for cars. We thought it couldn’t possibly get any better than Peugeot’s 3D twirling graphics, but Honda has configured the car with one massive series of screens, like some Japanese Starship Enterprise.

There’s one screen behind the steering wheel showing fairly normal stuff like speed, then two huge screens, one for the functions you use most like satnav and DAB, the other giving access to apps and the Honda Personal Assistant function which will assist you like Siri does - just start any command with “OK Honda”.

Standout features include an aquarium button, which turns both large screens into a fish tank with tropical species floating through coral, and is surprisingly relaxing while driving. You can also switch screen displays across for comfort, and choose from different wallpapers across the large display.

Comfort

The car is silent on the move, with supportive seats and lots of light. There isn’t a huge amount of room - think of this as you would a Fiat 500, Peugeot 208 etc, but in return you get a small car that you won’t sweat about parking in town.

There’s a USB charging point at the front, a couple of pockets, a central space for storing your phone, keys and wallets, which has vertical dividers that you can lift and move to create bigger spaces. There’s also, strangely, an actual three-pin plug socket in the front, in case you want to charge your entire laptop en route.

Power

Choose between the entry-level 136 horsepower and “Advance” 154 horsepower versions of the Honda e. We’d suggest the latter with its acceleration time of 8.3 seconds. Put it in Sport mode, and you nip around town like a little, retro, urban avenger.

While the maximum range of the Honda e is only 137 miles (so call it 100 miles in real world driving, and hardly anything if you nip onto a motorway), the upside is a charging time on a home-charging point of just four hours, compared with more like seven hours for something bigger, like a Nissan Leaf. Honda wants you to use this car more like an iPhone than a tablet - charge it little and often for best results.

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, checked out Peugeot's freshest eco-friendly offering - and it didn't disappoint

Possibly Marie Claire’s car of 2020, even though we’re only half way through the year. The dinky little Peugeot ticks every conceivable box: electric, fantastic looks, amazing tech, small enough to park easily, great colours and comfy to drive. Underneath the skin, it’s the same as the Vauxhall e-Corsa, but it just shows you how important cool design, interior styling and features are.

Price

It’s an ouchy £29,965 after the £3,000 Government grant for electric cars, making this one very expensive small hatchback in the truly mesmerising GT spec we had. But. As we wrote in the Vauxhall e-Corsa review, which shares the same architecture with this car, you need to look beyond purchase price to monthly finance deal and running costs to figure out just how expensive or not every electric car really is.

For example, the e-208 may cost you about £50 more a month on a finance plan than a petrol equivalent, but Peugeot is currently offering a free wallbox for home charging (normally about £500) and a six-month free charging subscription, and there’s no road tax or Benefit in Kind tax to pay if you’re a business user. It will also cost you about 4p per mile as opposed to 8p per mile to charge and run, especially if you are on a low energy tariff with your electricity provider.

Style

Full marks here. We really haven’t seen such a beautifully penned car, inside and out, since, well, possibly ever. Outside, the e-208 shares the same styling as the petrol and diesel version, apart from a metallic “e” badge on etc rear flank signalling the electric powertrain. The look is sporty, chunky and vibrant, with cool vertical LED lights front and rear, low sills, a black horizontal bar at the back and contemporary badging.

Inside, our GT-trim car had fabric seats with pale grey fabric inserts, lined with lime green and electric blue stitching. We also had lime green, thin LED bars for ambient lighting.

Tech

You’ve got to take a test drive to experience this. It’s a total, jaw-dropping game changer. We have driven 99.9 per cent of the new cars on the UK’s roads today, and we’ve never seen anything like what the Peugeot offers. The driver’s digital display has an amazing 3D effect - essentially one layer of glass sits raised above another, with both screens displaying different overlaying images, which twirl and pirouette like some sort of digital origami. The graphics are in different colours, and range from ultra thin dials that swing round to show speed, to large sections of glass that colour in shaded areas, as the dial moves. You can summon up a moving image of the car that shows whether you are expending or recouping energy, or watch the satnav arrow appear suspended above the map below. It’s beautiful, original, intuitive and imaginative, and worth buying the car for.

Comfort

It’s extremely comfy to drive, because the driver’s digital display sits above the steering wheel, which makes perfect sense - your eyes don’t have so far to travel down from the road ahead. And the steering wheel has a flat bottom and top, so you can slide your knees under and rest your hand on top.

It also feels wide inside, with plenty of space for two adults and two children, although my 6ft2in partner had his knees round his shoulders, but he’s ridiculously large. There’s room in the boot for a dog if you remove the parcel shelf, or a decent amount of shopping bags.

Power

The 50kWh battery has a power output equivalent to 136 horsepower and accelerates from 0-60mph in 8.1 seconds but feels considerably faster thanks to the immediacy of the power delivery. Like with the e-Corsa, you can choose eco, normal or sport modes - eco is pretty dull but saves you some energy, while sport feels very, very quick but you can watch the range go down. Speaking of which, Peugeot says the car should be good for 217 miles, but as usual, that will depend on whether you’v got the heated seats, lights, windscreen wiper and radio on, and whether you have a heavy right foot.

It charges in 7.5 hours on a domestic wallbox - we plugged it in when we went to bed twice a week and thought no more about it.

The Corsa has gone fully electric - but how does it drive? Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, gives us the low down on Vauxhall's first small electric car

The Corsa has been one of the UK’s top 10 best-selling cars for years now, vying with the Ford Fiesta for top spot. Now it’s offered in pure electric form, which gives Corsa fans an eco version to consider, if their budgets can stretch that far, because one thing it’s not is cheap.

Price

Take one look, then look away again, because the Corsa-e starts at £27,665, and our test car with all the bells and whistles came in at a staggering £30,000, after the £3,000 government grant for electric cars. Considering that a petrol Corsa starts at about £15,750, we’re talking double the money.

However. It’s not as painful as it seems. For a start, if you buy it on a monthly finance deal, it’s going to cost you around another £60 a month, which is more manageable. On top of that, your running costs are going to be a whole lot lower. No road tax, no Benefit In Kind tax on running it as a company car, no congestion charge, fewer moving parts to go wrong or need servicing, and, if you have a cheap overnight energy tariff from your electricity provider, it’ll cost you about 3p per mile to drive, as opposed to 7-8p per mile if you filled it with petrol.

Style

Some will love the fact that the electric Corsa looks and feels just like a normal Corsa, while others will be disappointed that you don’t get different styling to mark it out as electric, and therefore a little bit futuristic. Personally, we love the fact that this feels no different inside or out to a normal Corsa.

Our test car was painted a fabulous Power Orange, which is a more mellow colour than the name suggests, with black roof and pillars. Inside, in contrast, the soft plastics and smart seat fabrics are black, giving a smart city aura to this chunky, vibrant small hatchback.

The Corsa-e comes in the top two trim levels only - SE Nav and Elite Nav, so although that price is high, you do get a lot of equipment.

Tech

Standard equipment on our test car, which was the higher Elite nav trim, included smartphone connectivity, a 10in touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel (although you’d be brave to use them in an electric car when conserving range), panoramic rear-view camera, speed-sign recognition, lane-departure alert, blind-spot alert and automatic braking in the case of an imminent collision.

The downside is you’re lumbered with Vauxhall’s (and Peugeot’s and Citroen’s as they’re all in the same group) truly awful satnav system. Best revert to Google Maps via your phone.

Comfort

The Corsa has firm suspension anyway, and this electric version makes matters worse because you’ve got a lot of low-down weight with the battery and motors. It crashes unnervingly through potholes, should you be unlucky enough to drive through one, and sounds like you’ve broken the car.

However, on smoother surfaces, the small little chassis means this is a delight to drive, with quick steering and plenty of visibility, making parking manoeuvres a doddle.

The boot is big enough for shopping, although probably not pram systems. We even took the parcel shelf out and put the labrador in there to take him to his morning walk. There’s also enough leg room for a seven- and nine-year-old in the back and a granny in the passenger seat.

Power

The electric system takes 7.5 hours to charge to full from empty on a standard 7kW domestic wallbox, and five hours at a public charging point. Vauxhall claims 209 miles’ maximum range, although we got about 180 miles from ours. You can choose eco, standard or sport modes for driving, and the last one gives you a very noticeable extra boost of acceleration, to beat anyone away from the lights. Pull the gear level back to “B” and the car will slow more when you lift off the throttle pedal, recouping some energy as it does, although it’s nowhere near as strong a system as the Nissan Leaf’s.

Altogether you get 136 horsepower which makes the Corsa-e a pretty nippy little slice of electric ownership.

Here's everything you need to know about the Range Rover Fifty...

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Range Rover, the original Chelsea tractor, celebrates its 50th birthday this year. The famous 4x4 has spawned a whole range since it first appeared: below it, in descending order, sit the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. The family forms the luxury arm of Land Rover, which also makes the Discovery, Discovery Sport and Defender.

To celebrate half a decade in existence, there’s a new “Range Rover 50” limited edition model on sale. It’s limited to 1,970 examples, reflecting the 1970 birth date of the Range Rover.

How things have changed since 1970. When the Range Rover was first launched, it came as a two-door SUV, in mustard yellow, with a vinyl interior that could be washed out and wiped clean. Practicality, not luxury, was its byword. Such was its unique utilitarian style that it was displayed in the Louvre museum in Paris as an “exemplary work of industrial design”.

These days, you’re more likely to find Range Rovers decked out in impeccably clean pale leathers and woods, with sound deadening and either a V8 supercharged petrol engine, diesel or a plug-in hybrid powertrain, plus the option of a long-wheelbase for a true limousine experience for stressed-out executives.

The new range Rover Fifty edition is available in very small numbers in three special heritage colours from Land Rover’s bespoke department: Tuscan Blue, Bahama Gold and Davos White.

The Range Rover Fifty will cost you over £100,000, but may well turn out to be a collector’s item.

As we slowly ease out of lockdown, commuters are trading public transport for bikes and cars to avoid exposure to coronavirus. So we asked Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, to give us a low down on the top 10 cars that'll guarantee a cosy ride to work

Concerns about catching coronavirus on public transport mean that 56 per cent of commuters who hold driving licences but travelled to work by train, bus or tube before the virus outbreak are now looking to buy a car.

Here’s our pick of the best cars for the daily commute. The majority are electrified - either pure electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, because most daily round-trip commutes are short enough to fall within the 30-mile electric-only range of a plug-in hybrid, and certainly short enough to be covered by the 200-plus mileage of an electric car.

But the higher prices of electric cars and the need to install a home charger won’t suit everyone, so we’ve also included some petrol and diesel options, and some small SUVs because plenty of town drivers like a higher seating position.

Peugeot e-208

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Fantastic design: chunky and sporty, with a range of bold paint colours including electric blue and canary yellow. As well as being electric, and therefore better for the environment, it offers genuinely sporty performance with a decent range.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

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This is the plug-in hybrid version of the immensely popular XC40, which is Volvo’s smallest SUV, and it has just launched. It feels like a much more luxury offering than the price suggests, with a smooth, neat interior and quiet manner on the road. The small 1.5-litre petrol engine helps keep emissions, and therefore tax, down, and you’ll be good for 30 miles in electric mode.

BMW i3

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It’s been around for years but continues to be one of the most desirable electric cars on the roads, with futuristic styling inside and out, and plenty of recycled materials to push the eco credentials up. But you also get BMW’s traditional pin-sharp handling and exemplary chassis. You’ll have to pay proper money, but you get a proper car. If you want even more push, you can get the i3S with another 15 horsepower. Very easy to park.

Renault Zoe

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You’ll have to shut your eyes and ignore this car's looks, unless you’ve always wanted to drive around in a large metallic frog. But once inside, you’ll be laughing: this offers the best connectivity of any small car right now. The tablet screen shows off Renault’s gifted design work - when the screen’s off, for example, it reverts to a scenic picture of a mellow mountain range. And when it’s on, the possible activities are grouped by colour and more enticing graphics. Electric range of more than 200 miles.

Mini Convertible

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One of the best top-down motoring experiences you can have. BMW-group engines under the bonnet and the choice of a manual or automatic gearbox mean there’s a Mini Convertible for everyone, especially with the endless bespoke pattern and colour options inside and out. Still loving the British Union Flag taillights.

Fiat 500 Hybrid

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It’s not a plug-in hybrid; there’s just an onboard electric motor for extra boost on the go, and tax and fuel savings. This retro-themed Italian job is still highly desirable and perfect for parking and turning in tight city spots. Just don’t expect to shove much shopping in that dinky boot.

Land Rover Evoque P300e

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The Evoque has remained extremely popular, way after Victoria Beckham styled and unveiled her own version of Land Rover’s compact SUV. A raft of updates means the Evoque now has a really premium, tactile interior and offers cool gadgets like the optional ClearSight rear-view mirror, which turns into a camera view of what’s behind you at the flick of a switch. The plug-in hybrid version is called the P300e, and comes with 300 horsepower and enough electric range for 99.9 per cent of daily commutes.

VW Polo

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Many argue this is the best-looking mini hatchback out there, and the pricing seems very reasonable given there’s a premium “VW” badge on the front. Go for the 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, unless your commute takes you on a long motorway journey, in which case you’ll be one of the few who gets better value from the 1.6-litre diesel option. Definitely opt for the burned-orange paint colour.

Renault Clio

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Yes you can get a hybrid version, but the little petrol engines match the cute nature of this redesigned hatchback, which tops the best-seller lists in every country apart from the UK. The latest version has a huge tablet-style touchscreen and flashes of colour in the cabin if you go to the top trim level. Worth it, for a very chic French runaround.

Honda E

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If it’s style, style and more style you’re after, this is the one. Look at it. Especially in white. It makes a mockery of all other attempts to style electric cars as a gift from the future, instead harking back decades to a Sixties vibe. But you get contemporary Honda engineering, which is among the world’s finest, and a range of 137 miles, which is way down on most competitors’ but irrelevant if you just need this for commuting, shopping and local trips.

Forget Google and Alexa - Mercedes is rolling out its slick MBUX system in each new model that comes to market and, well, voice-activated technology has never looked quite so sophisticated...

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Imagine a world in which you don’t just say “Hey, Mercedes, play songs by Mabel” while driving along, but “Hey, Mercedes, find me an Asian restaurant in Kensington, but not sushi, which has a vegan menu. Book me a table for two now and take me there.” It’s not the future; this is here, now, albeit not in the UK quite yet. It won’t be long though.

This is the future of voice command, and it’s about to become as important to car makers as the cars themselves. Why? Mercedes predicts that the total value of voice-activated purchases made via smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa, Siri or in-car devices will touch $40bn by 2022 - that’s just two years away. In other words, it’s not inconceivable that the value of stuff bought by drivers while in cars will exceed the value of all the cars bought. No wonder brands like Mercedes are finding ways to facilitate this.

Right now, in the UK, you can use systems such as “Hey Mercedes”, which was introduced on the A-class in 2018 and is now being rolled out as standard in each new Mercedes model that comes to market. Similar systems exist in competitors like BMWs, but the problem with all of them is they’re a bit clunky, don’t pick up straightaway on what you’re saying, can’t offer many services, and everyone feels a bit silly talking to a dashboard. But everyone felt a bit silly talking to Siri or Alexa five years ago. Not now.

Mercedes’ own MBUX system can already understand and respond in 23 languages. It is starting to understand jokes and the notion of “chatting”, and can differentiate between the voice of the driver and the passenger. The next step is proactive and empathetic artificial intelligence - understanding the mood of the driver from other indicators like their eye movement, their driving reactions and movements - and offering solutions before the driver has asked the system to do anything.

Already, the artificial intelligence is getting more sophisticated every day, so that if you ask the Mercedes system “Can I wear sunglasses tomorrow?” it understands that what you need is a weather report. And if it sees that every morning you follow the same routine of putting the radio on then getting a traffic report before you set off, it will programme the car to do those two things before you select or say anything.

In China right now, Mercedes owners can use the system to order takeaway deliveries to home so the food’s there when you arrive back from a hard day at the office, or ask the car what’s on at the cinema, select a film and the best available seats, book and pay for your tickets, or speak to the smart system in your home to check you locked the front door.

Mercedes has started to work with partners (not in the UK yet, but it’s imminent) such as Trip Advisor, Amazon Music and What3words to provide more and more services offering information, products and events from the comfort and convenience of the driver’s seat. This is where the money comes in and drivers will need to be aware: all car brands will look to make money by suggesting and promoting certain products at the expense of others in response to the driver’s request. Every time the driver then books a theatre trip, for example, through one company instead of the other, the chosen company will pay Mercedes a fee for sending the customer their way. It’s called lead-generation, and it’s common in all areas of life, but not in cars so far. Car brands will have to make drivers aware that they’re being paid by the company to promote their product, and it’s up to the driver to then make the decision to buy. It may take a bit of getting used to, but the cash potential is just too big for car companies to ignore, especially when they make barely a penny profit from building and selling electric cars right now. The future requires all of them to branch out and explore other areas of revenue.

Concerns about safety and data privacy are being addressed, but it’s a bold new front opening up in what cars are all about. The idea that they are the third space after office and home is beginning to feel very real.

From Bentley, to Rolls-Royce and Ferrari, Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader, reports on the chic motor makers going above and beyond their call of duty

With top fashion houses like Burberry using factories to supply the NHS with hospital gowns and masks, and leading beauty brands such as Estee Lauder re-opening manufacturing spaces to answer the global demand for more hand sanitiser, industries across the world are coming up with innovative ways to help the fight against Covid-19.

And the car industry is no different. After governments made a plea for support in tackling the pandemic, brands such as Ford, Nissan and Mercedes rallied together to offer assistance. From switching production to make PPE, to lending cars for delivering food to vulnerable people and creating financial protections to ease the worries of paying customers, here are some of the incredible steps our favourite car brands are taking to tackle the virus:

Bentley

Besides donating seat covers to brave NHS workers, helping protect surfaces as they travel between hospitals, drop-in centres and home visits, the Cheshire-based car manufacturer has also donated safety glasses, normally used in its wood shop, to its local Leighton Hospital, along with 20,000 pairs of gloves. It is also set to supply as many as 30,000 face shields for employees in all 94 care homes in Cheshire.

Ford

The American motor company started making transparent face shields for medical staff way back in March, quickly ramping production up to as many as 75,000 a week in its Detroit factory.

Jaguar

Since the start of the pandemic, Jaguar Land Rover has gifted 160 vehicles, including many of its new Defenders, to the Red Cross in the UK, Spain, South Africa and France to help stop the spread of the virus. It has also loaned vehicles to the NHS and delivered consignments of safety glasses.

Fiat

Hot on the heels of the outbreak, Italian manufacturer Fiat converted one of its Chinese car factories for the sole purpose of churning out one million face masks a month.

Rolls-Royce

Also leaping into action in the war against Covid-19 is Rolls-Royce, that has been using its fleet of 30 luxury cars, including the ultra-chic Phantom, Cullinan SUV and Ghost, to help deliver food and medical supplies to organisations and key workers near its headquarters in Chichester, West Sussex.

Volvo

To ease the worries of loan-paying customers, Volvo, like many other car brands, is introducing payment-free loan periods - in other words, a holiday on your monthly car finance payment, akin to the mortgage breaks on offer. The Swedish brand is also showing offers on its website that involve no downpayment - ie no lump-sum contribution to pay up front to start driving the car.

Nissan

Nissan is also making serious waves at its huge Sunderland factory, turning out as many as 18,000 protective aprons a week for NHS staff. With plans to ramp that figure up massively, the brand is also loaning out courtesy cars to NHS workers, free of charge.

Ferrari

Perhaps the most desirable bit of health technology ever to be handled by doctors and nurses will be the Ferrari respirator valves and fittings for protective masks, which the Italian supercar company is now making at its famous Maranello factory. The parts will be supplied to both healthcare workers and patients, and have the brand’s iconic Prancing Horse mascot stamped on them.

The Agnelli family, who control Ferrari, also made a 10m donation to the Italian authorities dealing with the crisis last month, as well as sourcing 150 ventilators and providing vehicles for the Red Cross.

Mercedes

With the first eight races of the F1 season having been scrapped, the Mercedes Formula One team has been hard at work using its High Performance Powertrains department to make a new breathing aid that can help patients transition from the Intensive Care Unit back onto a ward. It has already been approved for use in hospitals.

McLaren

Since announcing in March that it was ready to lend its support to the fight against coronavirus by offering its expertise in innovation, design and engineering to the government, the British motor company collaborated with the University of Southampton to develop protective clothing for NHS workers across the UK.

Right up there with serious Porsche 911s and the Audi R8, the Jaguar F-Type straddles the line between sports car and supercar

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

The F-Type is a serious two-seat sports car, especially in the most powerful R guise, which is the version we’ve tested. Currently, it’s sitting on our driveway, looking forlorn, thanks to the coronavirus lockdown, but happily we got some miles in before cars were effectively furloughed. The F-Type R is right up there with serious Porsche 911s and the Audi R8 - it straddles the line between sports car and supercar, with a near-six-figure price tag and a mighty V8 engine.

Price

The F-Type R starts at £97,280 but can easily top £100,000 with a couple of optional extras on board. That V8 engine is a supercharged 5.0-litre job, so it’s pretty thirsty on the fuel and emissions will also be high, meaning you’ll pay more in tax, not to mention insurance. For most customers, however, this will not be their only car, so as a luxury purchase, such expense is par for the course.

Our car had Santorini Back Metallic paint (£730), suede headlining (£1,000), a panoramic roof (£1,310), black brake calipers (£320) and privacy glass (£375).

Style

This new F-Type is a major facelift for the model, which is now seven years old, rather than an entirely new car, but it’s a very strong new look, with the headlights now angry streaks of glass across the wide bonnet, with LED lights shaped like upticks. Our car had a “black exterior pack” to go with the glossy black paintwork, which means black aerodynamic touches like the low front lip and diffuser at the back, plus a black Jaguar badge and script across the boot lid, which has an active spoiler in it that lifts at motorway speeds, raising that leaping cat into the air. The all-black styling is a great look for this grown-up, serious sports car.

Inside, the new F-Type looks pretty similar to the old one, with a few buttons and screen in the centre and a panel of the dashboard housing the air vents which rises up when the engine is turned on. The combo of black exterior and black interior is a winner for the ultimate urban lounge lizard in us all.

Tech

Jaguar Land Rover’s infotainment system is getting a bit dated for a car costing this much, and is roundly beaten these days by the amazing MBUX system that Mercedes offers. But it’ll just about do for this update to the F-Type, because it was ahead of its time when it launched a few years ago. The major update for the F-Type is the digital screen behind the steering wheel, which shows two digital dials as standard but, like Audi’s MMI system, you can change the screen to show different functions in the car like satnav or audio.

Our car came with the optional Blind Spot Assist Pack, consisting of blind-spot assist and a rear-traffic monitor, for £450. You also get as standard in the R version a rear parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, and the brand’s Meridien sound system which is crystal clear.

Comfort

This is a very wide, commodious two-seater, which has its drawbacks when it comes to handling, but does mean two large adults can travel long distances in the car. The boot will take a family supermarket shop, which came as a pleasant surprise, and that long rear windscreen makes reverse parking a doddle, although there’s not much visibility out of the side when you’re exiting a junction.

Given there’s a huge engine under the bonnet, the car is also calm, unruffled and quiet unless you choose to boot it, or press the button that looks like binoculars but is in fact dual exhausts, and should simply have “LOUD” printed on it. Press that and your neighbour will know about it.

There are two cupholders, electric seats and sun-visors with mirrors which sounds like a given but often isn’t in high-performance cars. We had the £670 Climate Pack which includes heated windscreen, heated steering wheel and two-zone climate control.

Power

That 5.0-litre engine is supercharged, which means that as the engine revs rise, so does the power. The result is a car that feels pretty bog standard as you set off, but keep accelerating on an empty stretch of road and you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about. The car just keeps getting faster, and you’ll be forced to brake well before you reach the full extent of the power, unless you want to lose your licence. You will, however, have time to giggle before you bring everything under control, because this car has 575 horsepower which is proper supercar territory, and means it accelerates from 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds.

You get an eight-speed automatic transmission which takes care of itself and shifts gear very quickly, flattering the driver, as does the all-wheel drive which is needed to cope with the power and maintain traction. Lesser F-Types have rear-wheel drive, but there’s just too much oomph here.

If you’re a true speed demon and know all about drifting, feel free to switch traction control off when away from public roads, but for mere mortals we wouldn’t advise it.

The new Renault Zoe is light, airy and perfect for zooming around in the city

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

The Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf were the first two mass-market, (relatively) cheap electric cars. Both are now on their second versions, which seems crazy when you consider that most people are only just starting to get their heads around possibly buying an electric car. We look at the total cost of owning a Zoe here, from buying it, to charging it.

Price

The Government is still offering £3,500 off the cost of your electric car, plus some car makers will also pay for the cost of your domestic wallbox, which otherwise works out at about £500-£750. Renault is offering a free BP Chargemaster wallbox with the Zoe.

On a monthly PCP (personal contract plan) deal, the Zoe works out at about £270 a month, based on a £3,000 customer deposit and £3,108 Renault contribution.

On top of that, you’ll be paying far less to recharge your car with electricity than you would to refuel with petrol or diesel. Handy hint: get yourself on an electric-car tariff with your energy provider. I’m on a British Gas electric-car tariff which means that in the day I pay 19p per kWh of electricity whereas from midnight until 5am I pay 4p per kWh. I set the charging timer on the car to charge only between midnight and 5am, then plug it in and go to bed. The Zoe has a 52kWh battery, so it costs me 52 x 4p, which is £20.80, for a full charge, or about 200 miles of range.

Servicing and wear-and-tear costs are all lower as there simply aren’t so many moving parts in an electric car.

Style

While style is subjective, it seems a shame that Renault hasn’t followed its competitors in streamlining the design of their electric car second time round, instead sticking with the odd and vaguely comical egg shape, which makes occupants feel faintly ridiculous, unless you like the Tiny Tikes vibe around town.

Inside, however, it’s light and airy, with lots of recycled and sustainable materials. In fact, there’s 22.5kg of recycled synthetic materials. Apart from the base Play trim level, every Zoe gets a 100 per cent recycled dark fabric upholstery on the seats, with pale grey trim on the doors.

Tech

This is where the Zoe excels, and pulls away from the Nissan Leaf. While the base Play trim level gets a 7in touchscreen in the centre, the top GT Line spec gets a large, swipe-able tablet, with unique colours and graphics that challenge the accepted industry way of doing things: the DAB radio stations scroll vertically with each station enlarging as your finger approaches the screen. The satnav takes up half the home screen but can fill the whole screen, and Bluetooth audio gives you the chance to scroll between smartphone-connected songs, which many do.

Most clever of all, is the audible warning sound for pedestrians below 18mph. It’s an eery sort of whistling and whirring that sounds futuristic and cool, and helps saves lives.

The Zoe continues with Renault’s insistence on having the volume buttons on a block behind the steering wheel, which never feels intuitive. There are blind-spot warning and lane-departure warning systems on the high trim level, while the base trim level offers climate control, air-con and smartphone connectivity.

Comfort

The Zoe is, naturally, silent apart from the tyre noise at high speeds and artificial warning noise at low speeds. It feels light and bright with a surprisingly deep boot for shopping/dog and the charging leads (although you should take those out when not in use as they’re heavy and will consume more electricity). The seats are supportive and there’s plenty of storage room in the doors as well as two cup holders between the front seats. Thanks to the odd high-riding bubble shape of the car, there’s also lots of head room for four adults.

Power

There are two batteries on offer, like two engines - the R110 and R135. We tested the R135 with 134 horsepower - 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds. The Zoe feels nippy when it pulls away at junctions because all electric cars accelerate quickly from a standstill, but run out of puff as you speed up. If you nudge the smart little gear selector from D to B, the car is meant to slow significantly when you lift off the throttle pedal, storing the energy in the battery that would be wasted by braking. In practise, however, it isn’t strong enough so you still need to apply the brake - Nissan’s one-pedal function in the Leaf is much stronger. The Zoe also doesn’t feel as sharp to drive as the Leaf does, with woolier steering and dull handling. But it’s hard to argue with the maths on the ownership: 200 miles for £20, a free wallbox for home charging and £269 a month for ownership. Plus you’re doing your little bit for the planet.

The latest member of Rolls Royce's Black Badge range offers one of the most unique and special experiences on the road today

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

How has Rolls-Royce got the average age of its global customer down to a mere 40 years old? Largely with the new Black Badge version of its cars: a darkened, smokey, bad-ass design make-over on everything from its luxury convertible, the Dawn, to this, the massive Cullinan SUV.

Price

Please don’t ask: it only shows you can’t afford. And anyway, no one has a Rolls-Royce as their only car - the Cullinan will be part of an owner’s private fleet. And the choice won’t be between this and another luxury SUV: it will be this or a Picasso, or some exclusively curated pieces from an haute couture collection perhaps, or a new yacht.

But if you must know, the Cullinan costs £254,000, excluding local taxes, and our test version came in at £316,725, minus those pesky taxes again. Fuel and insurance will both be mega - the Cullinan does about 10 miles per gallon (to set that in context, your average petrol hatchback these days should do about 40mpg.

Style

It’s all about the design. The Spirit of Ecstasy is blackened, as is that huge grill. Our car was painted black, which just accentuated those slab sides of bodywork, with vast black wheels pierced by red brake calipers.

Inside, naturally black dominates. Our car had bright “Forge Yellow” as its secondary hue, so the swathers of black leather were punctuated with bright yellow piping, stitching and door lining, while a yellow stripe ran along the waistline of the car outside.

Possibly the piece de resistance in our Cullinan Black Badge was the roof. We’ve seen the magical starlit roof lining they offer before - lots of tiny LED bull prick the leather ceiling, offering a night sky for your dreams. You can have the stars designed in any constellation, such as your star sign, perhaps, but we’ve never seen the shooting star feature before - watch closely, and every few seconds a star appears to shoot across the night sky of the roof. It stays on while you drive, or you can turn it all off. It’s truly special, and rather beautiful.

There are the familiar deep lambswool carpets, monogrammed head rests, rear doors that open outwards from the front, the touches of art deco styling up front that characterise Rolls-Royce, and that impossible thin, large steering wheel that echoes the Roaring Twenties.

Tech

Rolls-Rolls-Royce takes nearly all its technology from parent company BMW, so you get the rotary dial that controls the iDrive infotainment system, plus a large touchscreen.

In the rear, veneered picnic tables fold down from the front seat backs and at the press of a button, a screen moves forward to offer the same infotainment functions - audio, satnav, phone etc - as the driver has access to.

However, Rolls-Royce, like Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini, does not place tech at the top of its priority list, preferring instead of focus on the comfort and performance of the car, placing it at the pinnacle of luxury automotive experiences, and nothing wrong with that.

Comfort

Ahhh, there simply is no more comfortable car than a Rolls-Royce. The engineers design the suspension so that it cushions its occupants from every pothole, bump and speed hump. You can neither hear nor feel the baying throngs of the outside world: the interior is an inner sanctuary of calm and relaxation.

Rear passengers can stretch out their legs, raise the footrest from the floor, and even push a button to close their door if reaching forwards and pulling is too much of a strain. Up front, the commodious seats can be heated or ventilated and offer a massage function.

Our Cullinan had a sumptuous surprise up its sleeve: what Rolls calls a viewing suite. Open the electrical rising split-tailgate of the boot, press a button, and from the floor emerge two folded seats, clad in the same Forged Yellow leather, with chrome tips. They rotate outwards and lift to provide the perfect perch for admiring the polo or whatever takes your fancy.

Power

The gargantuan V12 engine delivers 600 horsepower, but even more outrageous is the acceleration: this car weighs 2.6 tonnes but sprints from 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds. That’s ridiculous. Anything under 5.0 seconds is sports car speed but this is one of the heaviest family SUVs in the world. It starts to explain that painful fuel consumption, but my, it’s worth the financial pain: you plant your foot, watch the long bonnet rise to sniff the air, and you’re hurtling towards the horizon before you can say “speed camera”. It’s one of the most unique and special experiences on the road today and a true privilege to experience it.

Thanks to Corona virus, the Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled this year, but all the stars of the show have been unveiled virtually

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Here is our pick of the best cars revealed...

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar

Star billing has to go to this insanely beautiful, exclusive, handbuilt Bentley, for its combination of classic luxury styling and new, bespoke levels of craftsmanship (watch this space for our upcoming feature on the latest in British luxury car design). Mulliner is Bentley’s coach-building department, which means it’s responsible for special editions, bespoke styling inside and out and the top levels of craftsmanship and materials. Just 12 of the two-seat convertibles will be built, and all are accounted for.

Automobili Pininfarina Battista Anniversario

This mad Italian electric hypercar makes the Bentley look like a car for the masses. Just five will be built, and each will cost from 2.6 million euros. The car has a top speed of 217mph and is meant to encapsulate “ a new pinnacle of desirability for sustainable and luxurious electric cars”. It will also be eye-wateringly quick, accelerating from 0-62mph in under two seconds, which is Formula-One fast, thanks to 1,900 horsepower on board. Blink and you’ll miss it, literally.

Cupra Formentor

Cupra used to be the sporty badge used by Spanish brand Seat, but has now hived off into its own brand, signifying high performance. The Formentor is the first car for the new independent brand and it’s a more streamlined version of the Ateca SUV. It’s a plug-in hybrid with up to 31 miles of electric-only power, and may just turn out to be one of the unsung heroes of the show, ticking a lot of consumer boxes…

Peugeot 208

It’s not a reveal, because it’s on sale already, but it was named World Car of the Year, and for good reason: it’s arguably the best looking small city hatchback out there right now, and comes with a range of engines or an electric version, which is very tasty indeed.

Audi A3

One of the most popular family hatchbacks on sale in the UK, the A3 has had a facelift. This car competes with the Mercedes A-class, VW Golf, BMW 1-Series, Honda Civic, Mazda3, Renault Clio, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus… the list goes on. There’s now a mild on-board hybrid engine system, sharper driving character and new interior.

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster

A svelte design for a smart British luxury convertible sports car, and Aston’s entry-level model. The unveiling of the Vantage Roadster is an act of celebration for Aston, which celebrates 70 years since the Vantage name was first used on one of its cars. The brand also unveiled a limited-edition V12 Speedster - just 88 examples will be built by Aston’s bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, costing £765,000 each.

McLaren 765 LT

The “LT” badge stands for “Longtail" which denotes the hardcore, stripped-out, more track-focused variants of its supercars. Thus the 765LT is a bona fide monster, with carbon fibre racing seats, no carpets, loud exhaust and, as the name suggests, 765 horsepower from its twin-turbo V8 engine.

Fiat 500e

Fiat’s most popular car, the dinky Fiat 500, goes all electric in the 500e version, which makes perfect sense for this city runabout. The arrival of the electric version also heralds a makeover for this car, with sleeker headlights and a less bubbly silhouette. This car is set to rival the Mini Electric.

Kia Sorento

A successful, bold reimagining of this stoic seven-seat family SUV, which has been around for years and is still one of the top five large SUVs for value, space and reliability. The new version looks brilliant. At launch there will be a diesel hybrid and diesel engine on offer, with a plug-in hybrid to follow.

Mazda MX-30

Mazda’s first pure electric car arrives in the UK next year, and it is, unsurprisingly, a five-seat SUV - still the number one best-selling car shape in the UK. Reserve yours for £800, for delivery next year.

BMW i4

Unveiled as a concept, the i4 nonetheless shows how the real production i4 will look when it gets on sale. This is BMW’s pure electric sporty “Gran Coupe” which essentially means all the sexy styling of a slinky coupe but with four doors for ease of access. The model is a more high-performance take on the best-selling 3-Series saloon, with a 0-62mph time of about four seconds.

Erin Baker escapes to the slopes in a Seat Tarraco - here are her top tips for driving in the mountains

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

It’s that time of year when snow lovers hit the ski slopes. But if you plan to drive to the mountains between now and Easter, what sort of car do you need, and how daunting is it driving in the snow in a foreign country? We’ve just got back from a family ski trip to Andorra in the new Seat Tarraco, a large seven-seat SUV, and it’s all much less scary than you might think…

Choose the right car

If you’ve got kids, a large, seven-seat SUV is the best size, regardless of how many children you have. Ski gear and long journeys require space to move about, stretch and fling the kit in without arguing about how to pack it. The Seat Tarraco was perfect: a big seven-seater with a huge boot when the third row of seats is folded flat. Big cars also don’t have to cost the earth - our Tarraco was £30,730, including plenty of tech and safety kit, which is astonishing value for such a big SUV.

I drove my mother and two sons, aged seven and nine, on the three-hour transfer from Barcelona airport to the mountain resort of Arinsal, in Andorra. The boys sat in the back, with the seat-back trays up for their toys, playing Uno (who knew how handy a centre arm rest is in the rear for acting as a card table?), their rucksacks nestled between them, while we sat in the front with Apple CarPlay connected, flicking between Google maps and the car’s own satnav, songs belting out. There was loads of leg and head space, and it makes the journey far more relaxing when everyone can stretch out.

Do you need a 4x4?

Check the weather conditions, resort altitude and the country’s rules about snow chains before you travel. Some resorts ban chains because they can dig up the tarmac, and nowadays, winter tyres and four-wheel drive do as good a job. If you’re driving your car from the UK, check whether it is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive (normally only sporty models) or four-wheel drive (4x4). Winter tyres only need to be put on the wheels which are driven by the engine, but they work really well. For example, putting winter tyres on the front wheels of a front-wheel drive car often gives you more grip than having a 4x4 without winter tyres.

Our ski resort in Andorra was low lying, with no snow on the road, so I didn’t bother with winter tyres at all, especially because there’s a special “snow” function on the Seat Tarraco’s 4x4 system which turns the wheels more slowly in slippery conditions for maximum grip.

Is it tricky driving on the right?

The ideal solution is to fly and hire a left-hand-drive car out there, which makes driving on the right a doddle (helpful if your passenger shouts “on the right” every time you set off, to remind you). If you take your right-hand-drive car from the UK, it’s do-able, but you’ll ideally need help from your passenger for overtaking and they will have a better view than you round the cars in front.

A large SUV, like our Tarraco, with a high ride height, helps forward visibility a lot.

Bear in mind that after the Brexit transition period, you might need an international driving permit to drive abroad - you can get them from selected post offices and they last a year.

What are the key car features for long journeys?

Number one for any European driving is active cruise control. The Seat Tarraco’s is called Adaptive Cruise Control but same difference - you set your speed and also the distance you’d like to maintain from the car in front (from a given scale), and then it takes care of accelerating and braking, which spares your leg muscles in traffic jams.

Auto Hold function is another: if you stop on a hill (plenty of those when you’re driving to a ski resort…), when you lift off the brake to press the accelerator, it holds the car still.

We also loved the Seat’s three-zone climate control so my mother, the kids and I could have different temperatures, as well as the Tarraco’s lumbar adjustment in the front seats for aching backs, and the three USB ports to charge phones, Kindles and tablets simultaneously.

Top tips

The key is to be brave if you’ve never driven abroad before, and try it. It’s really not that different from the UK (remember to look the other way first at roundabouts and junctions), and if your car has a good satnav system, or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, you needn’t worry about getting lost. One last tip: remember to keep a debit card and some cash in the front for the motorway tolls, and head for the manual barrier or risk the wrath of hooting drivers behind you…

This vehicle is perfect for anyone seeking a bit of attitude in the design but luxury levels of space

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

First there were the 1, 3, 5 and 7-Series. Then they filled in the gaps with the 2, 4, 6 and 8-series, which were sportier versions. And then they got obsessed with niches, so we have, in the case of the BMW 2-Series, the coupe, convertible and Active Tourer versions and now this, the Gran Coupe. There is already an 8-Series, 6-Series and 4-Series Gran Coupe, and it essentially means a cross between a two-door coupe and a four-door saloon, so a sporty four-door, really. Customers will be those who like a bit of attitude in the design but luxury levels of space. BMW reckons the 2-Series Gran Coupe customer will be 30-40, coupled up, urban, successful, extroverted and with a “high affinity with digital touchpoints”.

Price

The base cost of £25,815 feels like you’re getting a lot of car for the money, but this can quickly rise as you get towards the car we’d all want: the M235i Gran Coupe which, with all the bells and whistles, will cost you £37,225 plus the extra comfort and tech packs you’ll want on board. A realistic price lies somewhere in between - buy the base 218i model then spec it up a bit with use of some M Sport options, to a price point of about £30,000.

If you want to keep fuel costs right down, go for the 220d diesel option, although not if you live somewhere where they charge diesel drivers to go into the city centre…(note though that BMW’s new diesel engines are Euro6 compliant and among the cleanest there are, so will escape most diesel bans).

Style

This car is all about style, mainly because if you want the same architecture and engines for less money, you’d buy a BMW 1-Series, which is essentially what this car is, with a longer rear. However, you can’t beat the blend of style and practicality here, which is the point of the gran coupe - it is a stretched coupe, and has a slinky low roofline that tapers off to a wide, powerful rear, with four doors and a decent boot.

We love the aggressive new styling for this car, with the headlights slanted into a scowl, the big trademark kidney grille, elegant frameless doors and flashy horizontal rear LED lights. BMW puts this car in the hands of male customers, partly because of the more aggressive styling, but we think this is the perfect design for women: it says don’t mess with me, while appearing to offer plenty of protection with all that bodywork.

Inside, the surfacing that flows round the dash onto the doors is illuminated - choose your colour via the touchscreen to suit your mood.

Tech

The car will receive software upgrades remotely, as your smartphone will. BMW’s iDrive system remains one of the best, but has only ever been compatible with Apple CarPlay, That changes from here - this model gets Android Auto too, and the information from your phone can also be displayed in the head-up graphics on the windscreen.

The basic Sport trim level gives you front and rear parking sensors, two-zone air-con and lane-departure warning as well as that smartphone connectivity and crystal-clear satnav. Go up a level and you’ll get the connected package that includes tech like voice control and gesture control. We’re told both are the future but right now both feel very much in their infancy - gesture control is unreliable and voice control can’t do very much, plus you have to start every command with “Hey BMW!” which just makes you sound like a wolly. And every time my passenger and I gestured at each other, the car would perform a task like turning the radio volume down. Grr. The digital cockpit, however, which gives you satnav between the two digital dials behind the steering wheel, is welcome.

Comfort

This is the other reason you’d choose this over the 1-Series - there’s a surprising amount of leg space for four adults, plus the rear passengers don’t have to scramble to get in the back in some unseemly yoga move by pushing the front seats forwards. It’s the ideal car for a girls’ weekend getaway in our opinion, with that boot plenty wide enough for mini-break luggage for four.

And unless you plunge the drive mode into Sport and step on the throttle (which is undoubtedly fun), it’s a very serene driving experience.

The one thing we don’t like in BMWs these days, however, is the thick steering wheel they insist on putting in their cars. It’s like the Eighties minicab is calling all over again, with those thick bobbly rubber covers they used to put over the steering wheels. Apart from looking horribly boy-racer, they are really uncomfortable to grip for longer periods. Stop it, BMW.

Power

It’s got to be the M235i. You get BMW’s most powerful 2.0-cylinder engine ever, with 306 horsepower, that boots this car to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. It also sounds the business, although some of BMW’s engine noise these days is artificial, to make it sounds like it’s exploding fuel when it’s actually sipping it - no complaints from us there. You also get M-Sport suspension and body styling which just screams at every car in front to get out of the way.

If you’re more of a wallflower, go for the 220d for supreme fuel consumption (50mpg is very possible), or the 218i for the little petrol engine, which still has plenty of verve.

You also get BMW’s brilliant, quick-changing eight-speed automatic gearbox with flappy paddles on the steering wheel.

We say defy the men in suits: just because a car is designed to be overtly aggressive, fast and a massive status symbol, why does that preclude successful extroverted female customers? There are plenty out there…

Available in two models, Audi's first fully electric car is an effortless blend of luxury and sustainability - making it the perfect ride for A-listers' arrival to the 2020 Brit Awards

With its recent pledge to become totally carbon-neutral by 2050, Audi is paving the way when it comes to sustainability in motoring. The German manufacturer's plan to massively expand its electric range has us all excited at the thought of driving one of our favourite luxury brands without polluting the city. A five door SUV, complete with smooth electric steering, a high-voltage battery and an oh so cosy interior, Audi's first fully electric car is available in two models, and it's kick starting the eco revolution.

The need to know:

Tech

Radical tech features are the pinnacle of the e-tron's design. Besides featuring the Audi A8's already renowned voice-controlled operating system, wireless handset charging, NMI navigation plus and sophisticated parking with 360-degree display, the e-tron sets itself apart from other models with dynamic alloy wheels and LED headlights to enhance visibility in surrounding traffic.

Audi takes its technological prowess one step further with the Launch Edition, which sports platinum-look alloy wheels and sophisticated Matrix LED headlamps. It also has a camera-based traffic sign recognition and a 360-degree camera offering both panoramic and bird's eye views of the car to make even the most challenging of parking manoeuvres feel like a total breeze.

Comfort

While the e-tron's seats are doused in stylish leather upholstery, the Launch Edition takes luxury to a whole new level with its premium grade Valcona hide. Offering additional features such as a panoramic glass sunroof and electric steering wheel adjustment, the Launch offers a relaxed driving experience like no other. No surprise then that its the choice for celebrities attending this year's Brit awards and a host of sporting events this summer including the Polo.

An additional remote control feature in the Launch also allows the driver to activate seat heating, ventilation, window seating and air-conditioning well before a journey even begins, making each road trip inevitably snug.

Power

The 95kWh battery hidden beneath the passenger compartment of the new e-tron is the dynamic force of Audi's new creation. It feeds two electric motors, delivering a collective output of up to 300kW, facilitating an exhilarating 5.7-second 0-62 mph acceleration and a top speed of up to 124 mph.

Audi's adaptive air suspension ensures a drive that is as silent as it is smooth, with the sophisticated power management of both motors ensuring optimal control at all times.

Charging up

Offering a charging mechanism for both at home and on the road, the Audi e-tron makes for an easier sustainable driving experience than ever before. With two charging points positioned conveniently on each of its front wings, sockets that connect the car to a home AC electricity supply are revealed at just the touch of a button.

The e-tron's innovative charging service also provides customers with easy access to fast DC charging stations across Europe at up to 150kW. Providing recharging to 80% of capacity in as little as 30 minutes, the e-tron makes difficult long distance trips a thing of the past.

Price

The e-tron and e-tron Launch Edition models are now available to order priced at £71,520 and £82,270 respectively.

For more information on the new Audi e-tron, visit audi.co.uk

The Caterham 7 is the Malteser of the car world - impossibly light and very tempting

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

The Caterham 7 has been with us since the Fifties, when it was called the Lotus 7, and the styling of this quirky British two-seat sports car remains unapologetically vintage. You cannot imagine how much fun it is until you have been for a test drive. With no heavy safety or warning systems aboard, this is the Malteser of the car world - impossibly light and very tempting. And for budding novice racing drivers, the company offers the Caterham Academy. We’ve done it and it’s a whole lot of fun.

Price

How well do you know your spanner from your wrench? The Caterham 7 is probably the only two-seater sports car you can buy ready made by the factory, or in kit form to build yourself. Unless you know your way round a tool box blindfolded, we’d strongly recommend the former. So that’ll be £29,395 ready built, instead of £26,490 for the kit.

Our car also came with the large chassis for another £2,500, which means you don’t have to be a size 10 to fit in comfortably. You can pay a further £75 to have a painted “7” on the grill, £300 for embroidered “7” headrests, £95 for side door arm rests and £995 for a limited slip differential which means it goes faster and more neatly round the corners by allowing the wheels to turn at different speeds.

Style

You can judge for yourself the effects of that Fifties styling, with the frog-eye chrome head lamps, fat exhaust running round the side and boxy little cabin for two people. We’ve never been that keen, but will forgive the looks for the way it feels to sit inside while it rushes along the road, jiggling and popping, with everyone smiling at you, and small children pointing with delight. On a summer’s day, there are few finer experiences, and it’s absolutely tiny, so will fit in any parking space you care to find.

Inside, there’s a small Momo racing steering wheel, and the list of extras just makes you laugh, because you realise what Caterham determines are expendable creature comforts in the pursuit of light weight: fully carpeted interior, black vinyl boot cover, full windscreen, hood and side screens, mats and boot floor carpet, black leather seats, heater, polished exhaust, petrol filler cap in silver or black and a choice of four paints: black, red, green or yellow.

Tech

Nothing. Really. Nothing. No radio, no satnav, no display screen, no air-con, certainly no Bluetooth or phone connection. No USB ports, no lane-departure warning systems, no traction control, no nothing. No central locking, because there are no doors, just leather poppers on the side sills. You do get an immobiliser - put the key in the slot by the steering wheel, turn it and the immobiliser will unlock the system. Then push the red starter button to fire her up. You also get dials for fuel, speed and revs.

Apart from that, as we said: nothing. Which is partly what makes it so great for learning to race in - with no electronic interference or driving aids, it’s a pure, linear experience involving the brake, throttle and clutch pedals to learn where the boundaries are.

Comfort

This is a car far more suited to women than men, because it’s very narrow - you wear it more than drive it. The three pedals are so closely situated that you have to wear thin-soled shoes or you risk stepping on two pedals at once. You more or less lie down to drive, your legs stretching down the tunnel to the pedals, which sounds scary but is actually very comfy and a more natural driving position. It doesn’t pay to think how close your bottom is to the ground at 70mph, however.

We have driven one as a daily commuter in London, all year round. As long as your hood fits snugly over the car, there are surprisingly few drafts, and the heater works well, although you won’t actually need it as so much heat comes off the transmission tunnel. It’s not a car recommenced for those with back problems however, as you have to fold yourself in and back out, being careful to step over the hot exhaust which runs alongside your door. We commuted in heels and skirt for weeks however, and all was well, although it might be an idea to do a course of yoga alongside ownership.

Power

Bear with us briefly in geeksville here while we explain what makes this car so much fun: the Ford 2.0-litre engine produces 135bhp which isn’t a lot of power on paper, but what’s important is something called the power-to-weight ratio, meaning that in cars such as this, which weigh next to nothing (565kg is next to nothing in the car world), you don’t need much power to go really quickly. And so the 270S sprints from 0-60mph in just five seconds. And because you’re very low to the ground, with the little wheels jiggling up and down in front of you, the exhaust popping loudly and the air rushing by, you feel like you’re flying. This is seriously the most fun you can have in a car for under £30,000. There’s a dinky five-speed manual gearbox with a short little movement between each gear, and you lie down, blip your feet, flick your wrist and spin the little wheel, and hurtle down the road with the sun on your head and the sights and smells whizzing past. It’s pure, unadulterated joy.

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Remember the days of whacking on a CD (or tape, if you’re as old as me - we’re talking Eighties/Nineties) in the car and singing at the top of your voice to Madonna, without a care in the world? Blissfully, there was no way to connect with anyone: it was just you and your thoughts, and a bad voice reaching for the high notes. The car was a private bubble, a means of escape, of personal liberty and time alone.

Well, those days are long gone. Nowadays, we are all tethered to each other by advanced connectivity. As we sit in traffic jams, our stress levels rising, we are bombarded with more information and demands to interact: live traffic updates, texts from your boss, calls from your children, meeting reminders… The car is rapidly becoming “the third space” after office and home. Already, the technology exists to dictate messages to friends and colleagues, find parking spaces, compile shopping lists, order food, books restaurants, check the weather and more. In other words, you can stay connected around the clock.

The flip side to constant connectivity, however, is constant anxiety. It is no coincidence that luxury cars with six-figure price tags, such as Bentleys, now offer a complete digital detox for those who can afford to switch off. In the new Bentley Continental GT, you can press a button to make the digital screen disappear, replaced with a piece of veneered walnut. It sounds like a minor detail, but we’ve tried it, and you actually start to breathe more deeply and slowly when that digital display disappears.

This detox offering is part of a growing wellness movement among car makers. Alongside research into augmented reality and instant concierge services, there is an awareness that motorists also want the option to turn it all off, and silence the noise.

So what are brands offering for the stressed-out driver?

Jaguar Land Rover

JLR has a Chief Medical Officer, who is pioneering a seat that makes your body think you’re walking, to combat the effects of sitting down for too long. The “morphable seat”, being trialled by JLR’s Body Interiors Division, sets in motion a series of little movements in the seat foam to create micro adjustments that trick your brain into thinking you’re walking. The shape-shifting system should help mitigate the health risks of sitting for too long, such as shortened muscles and back pain.

JLR is also researching motion sickness, and has been looking at ultra-violet light technology to help stop the spread of colds and flu in cars.

Volvo

Volvo introduced its CleanZone tech on the new XC90 seven-seat SUV. A large filter sifts out pollen for hayfever sufferers and nasty particulates before they enter the car, and has a layer of charcoal to absorb more. If the air quality inside the car deteriorates, because, say, you’re going through a long tunnel, the car’s air intake automatically closes. There’s even a Volvo Cars Nose Team (yep) who test the odours given off by different objects like floor mats or child booster seats before the car goes on sale, to see if they’re too strong for those with allergies or hypersensitivities.

Volvo has been looking at car seats and spinal research since 1965, and its research has shown that uncomfortable car seats cost the UK economy £8bn a year, as more than a third of workers take at least one day off for back pain. Volvo’s seats are ergonomically designed and assessed for what they say is the optimal sitting positions for occupants.

Mercedes

Mercedes offers an Energising Pack which works in tandem with Garmin trackers and smart watches, to keep an eye on your physical and mental state during a journey. If it senses you are tired, for example, or that the traffic has been moving slowly for a long time, it suggests a programme which you can start in the car, that might include a change in the colour of the ambient lighting strips, music, in-car fragrance, seat heating or cooling, and it will even show videos on muscle exercises on the screen, if the car is stationary.

BMW

You can simply say, “Hey, BMW, relax me” to the voice-controlled system on the new infotainment, and it will adjust the air-con, mood lighting and music to calm passengers.

There’s also a gizmo called BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant which has a Caring Car function. It offers a relaxing or refreshing setting, and adjusts the air-con, music and cools or heats the seats accordingly. If you own an 8-Series Gran Coupe, you get a choice of Executive, Expressive and Wellbeing modes to suit your mood, and if you drive a 7-Series, you can buy the Ambient Air package which gives you a choice of eight scents to infuse the cabin, and ionises the air to rid it of toxic particles.

And if all of that ultimately fails to restore your wellbeing, you can always give up, turn all the tech back on and ask the car to direct you to the nearest spa...

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Volvo’s XC60 is a medium-sized SUV, good for small families, those with dogs and commuters wanting space, a raised ride height and high-end materials and technology inside. It’s also just about the safest SUV you can buy, and is available as a plug-in hybrid (with one year’s free electricity), petrol or diesel.

Price

Volvo is currently (Feb 2020) offering the XC60 from £399 a month, on a 48-month agreement, with a £2,285 deposit and 10,000 miles a year cap. It also has a really great website for understanding trim levels (Momentum, Inscription, R-Design) and engines, and you can even do the whole transaction online now without stepping foot in a dealership. If you’re one of the 10 per cent still buying on list price, the XC60 starts at £37,785. You can buy cheaper SUVs with the same space, but Volvo is a premium brand now, offering a real step-up in interior materials and design, alongside a premium vibe.

Style

We think Volvo designs the best-looking family cars on the market right now, whether it’s an estate or SUV. There’s a slinky, sharply cut rear with dynamic LED lights, while the rest of the body keeps that chunky, solid look that echoes the focus on safety which has defined this brand, since it invented the three-point seatbelt decades ago.

Inside, depending on how much you pay, you get either sophisticated fabrics with technical weaves, tightly woven and fitted, or the softest leathers with neat stitching. The glass surface of the giant touchscreens are glossy and smooth, the buttons are chunky and click pleasingly in your hand, and there really are few other interiors that combine quality materials with a strong dose of practicality.

Our test car was Fusion Red, a great deep red paintwork, with black fabric seats - given their Scandi heritage, we’d always take our Volvos with a pale leather interior and open-pore wood grains for a more organic, light, elegant feel.

Tech

Volvo was one of the first brands to offer a big touchscreen more akin to a tablet, which dominates the space up front. The functionality is a masterclass in how to do it: the home-screen offers regularly used functions - satnav, phone, media, Apple CarPlay - while a swipe left shows all the possible entertainment functions (Spotify, apps etc), and a swipe right offers all the car functions with simple on-off buttons, such as blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning and loads more.

Our test car came with the Harman Kardon upgraded audio system (£850, not necessary), and 360-surround parking camera and park pilot assist which assists with parallel and 90-degree parking (£800). While you shouldn’t need the latter, the surround view marking camera is well worth the price. We also had the Intellisafe surround pack, which at £500 is an absolute bargain. You get the blind-spot warning system, steer assist which guides the car away from an overtaking vehicle, cross-traffic alert with auto brake for when you’re pulling out and don’t spot a car coming, and rear collision mitigation system.

As this is a Volvo, you get tons of safety kit as standard - Volvo has pledged that from this year, no one will be killed or seriously injured in a Volvo.

Comfort

One of the main reasons Volvos are traditionally such popular cars for families is their high levels of comfort. The brand has never gone after a dynamic, motorsport-inspired audience, preferring slower speeds and slower steering which allow for soft suspension, and the weight that things like sound and vibration deadening bring with them. The trick in a Volvo is to sit back and relaaaaax. The XC60, like its smaller XC40 sibling, and the bigger XC90, is a lovely lounge on wheels, with space for five adults, a generous boot, good head height, loads of light coming in through the large windows and glass roofs, good visibility and peace on the motorway.

Power

We tried the XC60 T8 Twin Engine AWD R-Design Pro. The last bit of that name is the styling, the AWD means four-wheel drive, and the T8 twin Engine means it’s the plug-in hybrid. This is our favourite engine option on offer, not least as Volvo now offers a year’s worth of electricity with it. You should be good for 25-30 miles on battery power only, which means you could feasibly go the whole week without tapping into the petrol supply, travelling on electric power and re-charging at home.

If you want a few thrills, put your foot down, and the petrol engine will kick in. The combination of petrol and battery gives you 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds which is very fast for a medium-sized SUV. The top speed is 140mph, but note that from this summer, all new Volvos coming out of the factory will have their speed limited to 112mph as a matter of course. Controversial, but you can’t argue the safety or emissions reasoning behind it, and yo’d be pushing it to find a stretch of road for that speed anyway.

Offering its classic allure of fun and style, mixed in with a suite of advanced technologies, the latest Juke is Nissan's most connected model

Words by Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto-Trader

Let us make no bones about it: the previous Juke was a deeply ugly car. Which was part of its appeal. The quirky styling of the high-riding, bug-eyed small family SUV appealed to a surprisingly large number of drivers, especially in bright yellow. But now the looks of this Japanese car have been dialled down a bit. If you want to support the British car industry, the Juke is built in Sunderland and well worth your attention.

Price

Our test car came in at £25,400, but that had all the bells and whistles on it: in the high N-Connecta (which makes us want to shout “and the crowd says Bo! Selecta” every time) trim, it starts at £22,395. Which feels like very good value for this reliable family SUV. Monthly finance packages should be equally competitive, and you shouldn’t have many worries about running costs, because there’s a small one-litre engine in it so it will sip fuel and insurance costs will be relatively low. Our car had the following options: Fuji sunset red paint with black roof (£754), heat pack - heated front seats and windscreen (£295), advanced safety shield pack (£1,000) and 19in alloy wheels (£580).

Style

As well as a more streamlined exterior, the interior feels sober and grown-up, with black cloth seats in a sporty shape and splashes of grey. There’s ambient welcome lighting, and a red LED strip circling the manual gear lever. If you’re after a party scene, you can specify lots of bright solos for the seats and doors if you fancy it. The satnav screen sits perched above the central ventilation dials, and there’s a glossy finish to the dashboard.

Tech

Nearly all trim levels get a satnav system connected to TomTom, showing traffic problems, and the tech feeds back info analysing your fuel usage which is handy. Our trim level - N-Connecta - offers a rear-view camera which is useful for this high-riding car, front and rear parking sensors, smartphone connectivity, Wifi and rear USB port - why doesn’t everyone offer that? We also had the extra Advanced Safety Shield Pack, with contains a surround view monitor, lane departure warning, cruise control, blind-spot warning system and rear cross-traffic warning alert which is really useful when you’re backing out of a crowded carpark.

Comfort

The Juke is a very comfortable family car now, with more space inside than the previous version and a boot that’s 20 per cent bigger. On the outside, it’s between a Ford Fiesta and Focus in length but feels bigger inside. It’s also surprisingly quiet for a car that price. The ride is pleasingly soft, where some competitors have stiffened up their suspension to counter act the higher ride height. One tip (for the Juke and other cars): go for the smaller wheels every time if you favour comfort over looks - the smaller the wheel the more air cushioning form the tyres.

Power

There’s a diddly 1.0-litre petrol engine which belies its small volume, offering a perky response (the 0-60mph time of 10 seconds feels quicker) and brilliant fuel consumption in the high 40s mpg. There’s a six-speed manual transmission which is chunky and fluid, and you get 117 horsepower which is fine for town journeys in this fairly small car: for long motorway stints we always feel like 200 horsepower is your starting point, and the more the merrier after that.

Price

At £22,395, this is a contender, alongside its similarly priced competitors, like the VW T-Cross, Seat Arona, and Renault Captur, with which it shares its chassis. You should get a monthly finance deal for about £300 on that, depending on deposit and annual mileage.