Latest news with #carreviews
The Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
What to know about The Grand Tour's new line-up
The Grand Tour is being rebooted with a new team of younger hosts following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The new hosts are reportedly YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman - the pair behind the Throttle House channel. Social media star Francis Bourgeois will reportedly complete the line up. Throttle House, known for car reviews, has over 3.2 million YouTube subscribers. Bourgeois gained fame for his trainspotting videos. The original trio's production company, W Chump & Sons, has reportedly been dissolved.
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Disappearing Car Door Was a Cool Idea With Impossible Execution
The latest car news, reviews, and features. It's fascinating how today's algorithms can dredge up something from the depths of the internet and serve it up to vast swaths of people. If not for that phenomenon, this video of a clever 'disappearing car door' system built by a defunct company called Jatech would've assuredly faded away ages ago. There's precious little information on it, but if the associated YouTube comments on this video are any indication, it will continue to mystify people for generations. The video was uploaded by an account named 'Disappearing Car Door' 18 years ago; this, unsurprisingly, is its only contribution to the platform. In the three-minute film, we see demonstrations of the system on a pair of Lincoln Mark VIIIs. The door, which has been lengthened by 10 inches to bypass the car's original B-pillar, swivels under the vehicle as its window retracts. In a later demonstration of a different implementation on a prototype passenger cell, we see a door rotate down without lowering the effective floor of the car. That would be handy, as ground clearance is probably one of the system's most obvious issues. You'd think another would be side impact safety, but Jatech was confident that not only was its concept not a detractor to crashworthiness, but it reportedly improved it. We're definitely lacking some details here, but the company talked of a 'structural reintegration of the door with the unibody' and a bespoke custom door frame system cryptically named 'Cruciform' on its website, which is fortunately still accessible by way of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Jatech also promoted that it worked with 'the finest and most experienced coach builders in the U.S. and Europe' to realize its breakthroughs. And yes, there was supposedly a manual override of some kind, somewhere. It's unclear how much time exactly was spent working on this system, but it seems it had a long history. As the company told it, the Lincoln Mark VIII prototypes were supposedly built at Ford's suggestion after the automaker invited Jatech to visit its design subsidiary Ghia, in Italy. Cadillac purportedly expressed interest as well. Neither manufacturer bit, though, and as of 2010, Jatech was still hoping to commercialize its invention. The 'designers of the exciting Disappearing Car Door technology are now in a position to equip your favorite car with our cool, sexy, safe, and convenient automatic car door,' the company's website read in a snapshot from 15 years ago. Jatech was even willing to 'design an original vehicle body' that incorporated the tech. While no such examples apparently ever existed, the site does feature sketches of generic sports cars, indicating that Jatech felt its solution was viable across a variety of body styles. This alternate example Jatech tested keeps the flip-down door within the car's body. In that way, it's more similar to the approach BMW took with the Z1, but more complicated. disappearingcardoor via YouTube Credit to Jatech, the disappearing door did bear some advantages. The extended aperture was ideal for vehicles with rear seats but no back doors. The swiveling door also consumed almost no space when opening, meaning you could park much closer to other vehicles without risk of contact. Also, note how the side mirrors on the Mark VIII prototype are attached to the A-pillar and not the door; because of this, an exiting passenger could still use that mirror to determine when to safely leave the vehicle. All that said, the benefits didn't seem to outweigh the drawbacks. Without more specific information or any crash test data to suggest otherwise, we're skeptical of the claimed safety advantages of the system. Complexity is an obvious problem, and if you look at the insides of the doors on the cars Jatech did convert, you'll notice that they're completely featureless—no pockets, no design, nothing. Perhaps the company didn't feel a need to waste effort mocking up custom door cards for these prototypes, or perhaps space and clearance were challenging considerations to overcome. Either way, you'd have to figure there was a reason the folks at Ford and GM didn't play along, let alone steal the idea for their own. Still, that quaint three-minute ad has racked up over 21 million views on YouTube as of this writing, indicating that for all its faults, Jatech achieved something remarkable here. Who can guess how many impressions it'll have amassed by the time it reappears in our social feeds in another five or 10 years' time? Got a tip? Email us at tips@
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
2025 Lamborghini Urus SE Review: The Unapologetically Silly Super SUV
The latest car news, reviews, and features. One of my favorite perks of this job is showing off the fancy cars I occasionally get to friends and family. The first time I sat in the 2025 Lamborghini Urus SE, I couldn't figure out how to shift into drive for three minutes. And so began a fun game to play with all of my passengers: How the hell do you turn this thing on? See, just below the secondary touchscreen for climate control in the Urus are three handles. There's one on the left labeled 'Anima' that scrolls through the Italian words for street, track, snow, and so on; one on the right that controls how deeply the plug-in hybrid super SUV taps its battery pack; and a big one in the middle with a tiny 'R' label on the very top. Miss this label—as I and most of my passengers tended to—and chances are that you'll assume that the big one puts you into drive. Alright, so clearly, it isn't that handle. The others affect drive modes, and they won't get the car moving, either. It turns out our answer lies in the upshift paddle behind the steering wheel, keeping in tradition with the Huracán and Revuelto. Isn't that something? Three levers ahead of the center console, and none of them move the car forward. I asked on Instagram, 'How do you start this car? Wrong answers only,' and this was my favorite reply: 'You have to charge the Anima Engine by attacking until you reach Neve level. Then you can put it into Drive.' Adam Ismail It's moments like these that define the Urus experience, weirdly. At its core, this is the most powerful version of a vehicle that is also available in Audi and Porsche flavors, for six figures less. And even as that familiar shield with a golden bull stares back at you, there's nothing about this Urus that feels especially Lamborghini-ish until you encounter one of its confounding user interface oddities, or you force it out of EV-only mode and that diabolical V8 bursts into life. The façade of fuel-sipping docility fades away, and sheer comedy takes its rightful place. Believe it or not, the Urus has been with us for seven years now. The arrival of the SE marks the most comprehensive refresh yet in the model's history. Front and center is the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making 611 horsepower, but it's now boosted by an electric motor feeding off a 25.9-kWh battery contributing a further 178 hp. All told, that's 789 hp and an even 700 lb-ft of torque pushing all four wheels through a central torque vectoring system and electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle. Leave it in EV mode, as it defaults to upon startup, and it'll travel 37 miles on a full battery at speeds up to 80 mph. Adam Ismail Outside, Lambo's SUV has become a bit softer on the eyes, with streamlined headlights, a hood shut line that now naturally runs to the top of the grille without any weird crinkles, and a rearranging of some elements and graphics on the tailgate. A neighbor of mine called it a 'beautiful vehicle' in its Verde Gea matte finish, and I reluctantly agreed because, what else are you supposed to say when someone compliments your Lamborghini? That it's 'a bit much?' This facelift certainly makes for a better-looking Urus, but this was always a beefy, angular hunk of metal, and a few nips and tucks here and there can't do much to change that. The adjustments in the cabin are equally minor, and stand out only if you know where to look. Before the SE, the Urus' center console was one, sloping slab that incorporated two touchscreens, with the lower one reserved for HVAC controls. Now, the top display is wider and more upright, divided from the lower panel by a shelf of leather and little toggles that stick out overhead. The Urus SE starts at $262,630, but the example seen here costs $344,966, and that's never harder to grasp than when surveying the interior. Yes, there's leather, carbon fiber, and Alcantara almost everywhere you look. But there's also black plastic on top of gray plastic, replete with frivolous ridges and hexagons accentuating what is, in many cases, standard Audi switchgear. The $141,000 BMW X5 M Competition I drove last year had seats that articulated in more ways than my spine could ever bend, an inferno spiraling behind its speaker grilles, and heated armrests inside an airy, elegant cabin. The Urus' interior is a dark and very serious bunker. And I know this will sound petty, but Lamborghini is too important and expensive a brand to use Google's free Roboto font across its whole user interface. I won't say that I exactly forgot about all those things when I found a decent road to stretch the Urus SE's legs on, but almost 800 hp and the instant torque of an electric motor do have a way of making other concerns fade into the background. With a top speed of 190 mph and the 62-mph dash dispensed in 3.4 seconds, the Urus SE is an excessive vehicle. It can be comfortable and relatively ordinary in Strada mode, and downright bassy, crackly, and jarringly stiff in Corsa. Sport presents a good compromise, then, and was the mode I had engaged during most of my driving. No matter which you choose, the steering tends to stay on the suspiciously light and numb side, slightly at odds with the Urus SE's 5,500-pound curb weight. That's actually some 700 pounds heavier than the Performante model without the hybrid powertrain that we tested last year. Adam Ismail The active suspension and sophisticated all-wheel-drive system placing all that power keep the Urus SE playful, yet predictable. Left to my own devices on an empty gravel lot, switched to the appropriate Terra mode, I'd even expect it to be agile for its size—if Lamborghini allowed me the opportunity, that is. (This thing has no less than three off-road settings, but they still don't let you take loaners like these off the black.) The 'for its size' part kind of gives away the whole game, though. It still feels like a massive SUV, maybe the most massive, with power and grip in equal measure, and a stunning normalcy when you're not intent on driving it like its badge would suggest. The latest car news, reviews, and features. But the Urus SE isn't the only player in this town. Audi's is called the RSQ8; Porsche's is the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid. Those can be had for $100,000 less. And then, if you're in the market for one of these, there's also the Aston Martin DBX to consider, the Ferrari Purosangue, and whatever McLaren might cook up in the next couple of years. Adam Ismail What does the Urus have that those don't? It looks the most pissed off, and has the most confounding start procedure with a dashboard aesthetic I'd describe as 'military-lite.' Those sound like put-downs, but honestly, damn near everyone I showed the car loved those qualities about it. There's a sense of occasion to flipping up that candy-red shroud, pressing the ignition button, flicking the paddle into drive, and the repetitive 'chonk' noises as you pull those plastic levers to your desired drive mode and battery usage. It's silly, it's complicated, and that's the point. And now that it's a plug-in hybrid, you won't have to wake anyone up during that intricate ritual, unless you really feel like it. 2025 Lamborghini Urus SE Specs Base Price (as tested) $262,630 ($344,996) Powertrain 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with electric motor | 8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive | 25.9-kWh battery Horsepower 789 @ 6,000 rpm Torque 700 lb-ft @ 2,250-4,500 rpm Seating Capacity 5 Curb Weight 5,520 pounds 0-62 mph 3.4 seconds Top Speed 193 mph EPA Fuel Economy 48 mpge | 20 mpg (gas only) Score 7.5/10 The Urus SE's potent plug-in hybrid powertrain now makes it even more versatile than before, though the explosive performance—and gimmicky, love-it-or-hate-it interior—are still definitely here. Adam Ismail
Auto Express
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Cheapest hybrid cars on sale 2025
Fully electric cars are the hot topic at the moment but there are plenty of affordable, efficient hybrid cars to choose from on today's market that might actually be cheaper to buy and run for some people. If you're after a bargain, the level of choice on offer means the cheapest hybrid cars come in all shapes and sizes, so there should be a low-cost hybrid model to suit you. Advertisement - Article continues below Generally speaking there are three types of hybrid car on the market: mild hybrid, full hybrid (also referred to as self-charging hybrid), and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). To keep things simple, we've rounded up the cheapest full hybrid cars for this list. We've omitted mild hybrids as the technology is now standard-fit in a large number of modern petrol cars. Plug-in hybrids, meanwhile, fall into their own category as they need to be recharged like an EV. They also tend to be larger and more expensive than full hybrid cars. Our experts have thoroughly tested every hybrid car you can buy, carefully evaluating areas such as quality, driving experience and practicality, and we've included our impressions below to help you decide which of the UK's cheapest hybrid cars is the right one for you. Read this table to see our in-depth ratings for each of the UK's cheapest hybrid cars. You can also find each car's starting price, as well our score for efficiency and the official WLTP combined fuel economy figure. Cheapest hybrid cars ranking Name Prices from Efficiency, CO2 and running costs rating (out of 5) Overall Auto Express star rating (out of 5) Max. WLTP efficiency 1 MG3 £18,995 4.5 5 64.2mpg 2 Renault Clio £21,895 4.5 4.5 67.3mpg 3 MG ZS £22,495 4.4 4 55.4mpg 4 Dacia Jogger £23,305 4 4.5 58.9mpg 5 Toyota Yaris £23,445 4.2 4 70.6mpg 6 GWM Haval Jolion Pro £23,995 N/A N/A 47mpg 7 Mazda 2 Hybrid £24,820 4.3 3.5 74.3mpg 8 Dacia Duster £24,830 4.7 4.5 55.3mpg 9 Renault Captur £25,195 4.1 4 60.1mpg 10 Toyota Yaris Cross £26,495 4.4 4 62.8mpg Scroll down or click the jump links in the table above for more on the cheapest hybrids Prices from £18,995 Max. WLTP efficiency: 64.2mpg Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The MG3 is currently the cheapest hybrid on the market, yet it's also one of the best-equipped, most efficient and most entertaining cars to drive in its class. Advertisement - Article continues below Unlike its rivals, the MG3 prioritises use of its electric motor over the petrol engine, so the driving experience is much closer to an electric car than a hybrid. When the engine does kick in, it's not intrusive and the transition is smooth. Official figures suggest the MG3 hybrid can return 64.2mpg, but we averaged 55.4mpg during testing. This is in the same region as its closest hybrid supermini rivals; the Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris. The MG3 might be a small car, but it's not too cramped inside, with plenty of head and knee room for adults in the back, as well as plenty of storage space and cubby holes dotted around the cabin. Standard safety kit is very generous, with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning featuring on all models. Overall fit and finish is decent, too, as is the seven-year/80,000 mile warranty. 'There's a huge amount to like about the MG. Its sharp-handling chassis makes it fun to drive, yet it balances this out with a compliant ride and strong refinement.' - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the MG3 on UK roads Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest MG3 deals Prices from £21,895 Max. WLTP efficiency: 67.3mpg Advertisement - Article continues below The Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid does a highly respectable job of blending fashion with frugality. Combining two electric motors with Renault's 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine results in fuel economy of up to 67.3mpg on paper, but in the real world, we saw 58.5mpg when we tested the Clio hybrid against the Toyota Yaris. Overall, performance is brisk and 143bhp is enough for 0-62mph in under 10 seconds, so merging onto the motorway should be fairly pain-free. The Clio's sharp steering and comfortable ride also make it one of the more capable cars in its class. Despite its low starting price, the Clio comes with almost every bit of kit you'll probably need, including LED headlights, cruise control, a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and plenty of safety tech too. 'The Renault Clio refuses to relinquish its position as one of the best superminis on the market. A high-quality and well-equipped item despite its competitive pricing, the Clio feels as refined as much larger hatchbacks and handles well, too.' - Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who drove the Clio in the UK Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Renault Clio deals Prices from £22,495 Max. WLTP efficiency: 55.4mpg Advertisement - Article continues below The MG ZS is much cheaper than almost all of its small SUV competitors, but it hides its budget roots surprisingly well. Due to it using the same powertrain as the MG3, the ZS primarily uses its petrol engine as a generator to power the electric motors when needed. The result is an official economy figure of up to 55.4mpg, and we managed to get fairly close to this with a real-world average of 48.7mpg during testing on a mixture of roads. It's reasonably potent in terms of power, too, with 193bhp on tap, and the 10.5-metre makes tighter manoeuvres nice and easy. Look hard enough within the ZS's cabin and you'll find that MG hasn't quite managed to hide its cost-cutting measures. There are quite a few flimsy parts, and one of our road testers even managed to hurt themselves while using the gear selector. Mishaps aside, though, things do get a bit better when it comes to on-board tech and safety kit. There's enough room for a family of five, too. 'While the ZS is good enough to drive, spacious and economical, the real selling point is its low list price, which allows it to undercut rivals by several thousand pounds.' - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the ZS in the UK Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest MG ZS deals Prices from £23,305 Max. WLTP efficiency: 58.9mpg Not only is the Dacia Jogger one of the cheapest hybrid cars currently on sale, it is also one of the cheapest seven-seater cars on the market. The Jogger offers families a huge amount of space, low running costs and a decent amount of in-car kit for very little money. The best thing, though, is that the efficient hybrid power doesn't come at the cost of practicality. You will need to spend a bit more to buy one compared to the petrol model, but the upside of the hybrid-powered Jogger is fuel economy of well over 50mpg as well as more power and torque. The Jogger's van-like appearance may not be as stylish as some of the SUVs on this list, but if you're in the market for a hybrid family car then few models can match the sheer level of versatility on offer here — especially at this price. It's not exactly posh inside, but the materials and trim feel durable, and the essential tech is all included. 'The Jogger is relatively compact for a seven-seater, with a long, narrow body where most other options are wide. That means it's just as easy to manoeuvre as the Dacia Sandero at low speeds, and the light steering also helps you to thread through small gaps.' - Dean Gibson, senior test editor, who tested the Jogger in the UK Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Dacia Jogger deals Prices from £23,445 Max. WLTP efficiency: 70.6mpg The latest Toyota Yaris is only available as a hybrid, as opposed to a number of rivals that offer hybrid power as an option. Fortunately, this technology suits the Yaris perfectly in the city, where the car spends a surprising amount of time in electric-only mode. It may look a bit funkier than previous generations of Yaris, but the latest model still focusses on the sensible stuff. Due to its aversion to using its 1.5-petrol engine, the Yaris can lean heavily on electric power and officially achieve up to 68.9mpg. As is somewhat typical, though, this figure could not be matched when we pitted the Toyota Yaris against a Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid in a twin test, but we did get a respectable 56.2mpg nonetheless. While the Yaris struggles a bit on the motorway with its 114bhp, the steering is a joy around town, and anyone in the market for a supermini, hybrid or otherwise, should strongly consider it. Build quality is typically Toyota (that's a very good thing) and it's a comfortable car to sit on on longer journeys, although the interior is a bit bland to behold. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'The fourth-generation Yaris is a great performer in the urban environment. However, it isn't the cheapest hybrid around, there's limited room for people in the back, and a small boot could limit its appeal for a family.' - Max Adams, online reviews editor, who drove the Yaris on UK roads Latest Toyota Yaris deals Prices from £23,995 Max. WLTP efficiency: 47mpg It's a very recent entry into the UK market, but the GWM Haval Jolion Pro is already making waves with its starting price — even if its name is a bit of a mouthful. The Haval Jolion Pro comes from the same brand that brought us the Ora 03 (formerly known as Funky Cat). Unlike its groovy electric city car sibling, though, this is a hybrid-powered mid-size SUV. In typical Chinese car fashion, it undercuts the price of several competitors, too, at less than £24,000. However, it's worth noting that the GWM is one of the thirstier cars on this list with an official MPG figure of just 47mpg. Inside you'll find a digital driver's display along with a 12.3-inch touchscreen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's not the most exciting SUV out there, but there's little denying this car's potential to disrupt this extremely popular market Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest GWM Haval Jolion Pro deals Prices from £24,820 Max. WLTP efficiency: 74.3mpg No, we haven't added the same car twice. The Mazda 2 Hybrid is essentially a rebadged Toyota Yaris but this isn't a bad thing. Not only do Mazda and Toyota superminis look identical, but they also share the same 114bhp 1.5-litre full hybrid powertrain. The Mazda does have a slight edge in the WLTP efficiency stakes, though, as it boasts a higher headline figure of 74.3mpg, compared to the Yaris's 70.6mpg. Just like the Yaris, the 2 Hybrid is enjoyable and easy to drive on urban roads, and it will spend a lot of its time in pure-electric mode. If you're considering a Yaris or 2 Hybrid, it'll be worth looking at the best finance and leasing deals on both models before deciding. Do keep in mind that both the Mazda 2 Hybrid and Toyota Yaris aren't the most refined cars at higher speeds, so if you do lots of motorway miles, you might want to consider other options. "There are some harsh plastics dotted around, but overall the Mazda 2 Hybrid feels built to last, and one of the plusher superminis on sale." - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter, who drove the 2 Hybrid in Germany Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Mazda 2 Hybrid deals Prices from £24,830 Max. WLTP efficiency: 55.3mpg It's chunky, robust and a little bit old-school on the outside, but the Dacia Duster can be specced with an utterly modern hybrid powertrain. While you'll have to forego four-wheel drive to accommodate the Duster's full-hybrid system, the good news is that this model's real-world economy comes very close to the figures it claims on paper. We achieved 52.3mpg during testing, which really isn't far short of the claimed The hybrid variant is also the most powerful Duster, but performance is still rather reflective of this SUV's boxy appearance - only 138bhp and a top speed of 99mph. We doubt many Duster buyers are particularly bothered about speed, though, so if you're more concerned about practicality and quality, we have good news. While there's no hiding from low-rent materials, the cabin feels as sturdy as the car looks, and there's even a reasonable amount of up-to-date features thrown in. A stonking 594-litre boot sits at the back for big shops or long trips away with the family. 'The latest Duster uses the same CMF-B platform as the likes of the latest Renault Clio and Captur, and that means the current model takes a significant step forward from its predecessor, with an improvement in tech and a grown-up feeling on the road.' - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who tested the Duster on UK roads Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Dacia Duster deals Prices from £25,195 Max. WLTP efficiency: 60.1mpg The Renault Captur is a two-time Small SUV of the Year winner, and it's still as tempting as ever. The Captur E-Tech is the hybrid version, and this shares its powertrain with the Clio supermini, along with several other components. This system consists of a 1.6-litre engine combined with two electric motors. The first motor can drive the wheels outright, while the second helps to smooth the gaps between gear changes. We lived with a Captur E-Tech for six months as part of our long-term fleet, and during that time it held a steady 53.2mpg average, and this included plenty of motorway trips. The Captur's practicality does suffer a slight sacrifice in order to accommodate this hybrid setup, but the E-Tech should still take a family of four and their luggage with ease. A 10.4-inch touchscreen dominates the dashboard, and Renault's Google-based infotainment software is a firm Auto Express favourite due to its performance and ease-of-use. 'It's not as sharp to drive as some rivals, and the cabin design is starting to look and feel a little dated, but fundamentally this car's focus on what its buyers will appreciate is enough to keep it at the sharp end of the class.' - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer, who road tested the Captur in the UK Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Renault Captur deals Prices from £26,495 Max. WLTP efficiency: 62.8mpg Toyota is no stranger to producing efficient small hybrid cars, but the Yaris Cross represents a new approach from the brand The Cross takes all the best bits of the Yaris supermini and places them into a larger and more practical package. The additional bulk does mean the 1.5-litre powertrain has to work a bit harder, but it's still capable of up to 62.8mpg (provided you avoid the AWD models). It would seem the WLTP testers had their foot down during testing, though, as we managed an average of 64.7mpg when the Yaris Cross spent six months on our test fleet. This is a winning combination that makes the Yaris Cross an ideal choice for a small family. It's also a rather eco-friendly one, emitting less than 100g/km of CO2. On the road, the Yaris Cross is just as easy to drive around town as its supermini sibling, and the reversing camera makes parking the small SUV a doddle. Toyota has identified that Yaris Cross buyers will most probably live in more built-up, urban areas, so it's important that the small SUV is comfortable and easy to pilot around town. Has it succeeded? For the most part, yes.' - Ellis Hyde, news reporter, who drove the Yaris Cross on UK roads. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Toyota Yaris Cross deals There are different types of hybrid car, and working out the difference can feel daunting if you're unaccustomed to this technology. We won't go into great detail about the differences between each type of hybrid here, although there are three main ones you should be aware of. The first are 'mild hybrids'. These typically use an electric motor to give an engine (usually petrol, diesel hybrids are rarer) a boost under acceleration. Crucially, mild hybrids cannot move under the power of an electric motor alone. The second are 'full hybrids'. Unlike mild hybrids, these can use electric motors to drive the wheels, although this is usually only for very short distances; no more than a mile or two. Their limited electric range is caused by their typically small batteries, which collect energy lost while braking or directly from the engine itself. The third are 'plug-in hybrids', often abbreviated to 'PHEVs'. Their batteries are much larger than those of full hybrids, so much so that they need to be charged via a cable when parked. The very latest PHEVs can offer more than 60 miles of electric-only range, so it's realistic to complete short journeys without needing to use the engine (or any fuel in the tank) at all. Looking to cut out combustion entirely? Check out our list of the cheapest electric cars … New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here's everything we know so far Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Is pressure from retailers and car makers finally cutting through with ministers?
Motor Trend
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
About MotorTrend
About MotorTrend Established in 1949 by bona fide car guy and noted Los Angeles businessman Robert E. 'Pete' Petersen, MotorTrend has driven, tested, and reported on auto industry trends from the very beginning. That spirit of bringing readers closer to the cars of today and tomorrow still shines through in everything we do. 0:00 / 0:00 Anchored by the 75-plus-year-old MotorTrend magazine and our world-famous 'Of The Year' award programs, we're all about informing, entertaining, and empowering everyone from the most casual car buyer to the hardcore enthusiast. We evaluate the latest cars, trucks, and SUVs, and we strap our test gear to them to find out how they perform on the track. Every EV is subjected to our thorough Road-Trip Range testing, and our proprietary Ultimate Car Rankings system rates all of the newest and hottest vehicles. When you want to know what's happening now and where things are headed, we have you covered through cutting-edge automotive news coverage here on our in-depth and long-running website, which features thousands of diverse stories and world-class photography. You can also experience MotorTrend through our vibrant social media presence, our live events, and our award-winning videos which can also be found on our massively popular YouTube channel. Why Trust Us Every year, our expert MotorTrend editors evaluate hundreds of cars, trucks, and SUVs across the market through extensive reviews, in-depth instrumented tests and ratings, and comparisons designed to stretch those vehicles' limits and examine their attributes. Our editors rely on their decades of experience and draw from deep industry connections to help bring the highest-interest future cars and the cutting-edge automotive technology of today and tomorrow to our audience. Everything we do is subjected to our rigorous standards for quality and impartiality. Although we work closely with automakers to gain exclusive insider access to their vehicles, we are in no way beholden to them. We maintain a wall of editorial integrity between us and advertisers that allows us to speak freely and frankly about the vehicles we're evaluating. In short: Our MotorTrend views are our own. Readers can rely on the information they read to be highly accurate and curated by our editors. Our MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings, for example, employ an algorithm that relies on our opinions and the data we collect to provide a fair and accurate analysis of what we believe to be the best cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market. The ratings are augmented by a wealth of information and tools designed to help car shoppers find the best vehicle for their needs. About Vehicle Testing & Ratings MotorTrend Car of the Year was first awarded in 1949, and more than 75 years later, it has grown into a family of the most prestigious and rigorously conducted independent automotive awards programs in the world, covering high-performance, economy, and luxury cars, along with SUVs and trucks of all shapes and sizes. MotorTrend's Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year programs are the most rigorous and credible in the industry; rooted in our instrumented testing performed at expansive proving grounds, with expert judges pulled from MotorTrend's editorial staff and across the automotive industry. Vehicles are evaluated against six key criteria: Value, Safety, Efficiency, Engineering, Design, and Performance of Intended Function. Our awards don't stop there. We also feature our Person of the Year and Power List, industry-focused honors designed to highlight the movers and shakers shaping the business. More recently, we've been recognizing the best and brightest individuals transforming the future of the automotive universe and the technologies they're developing through the MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards. The SDV awards identify, elevate, and celebrate those leading the automotive industry's paradigm shift from hardware to software after an intensive selection process by our senior editorial staff. Our newest accolades are our Best Tech awards, which seek out the most impressive automotive software and technologies on the market. Winners are chosen based on innovation, user experience, usefulness, value, and where applicable, safety and privacy. MotorTrend also has an extensive Buyer's Guide shopping portal headlined by our Ultimate Car Rankings—our sophisticated car-ratings system designed to help you find a new car in a way only MotorTrend can. The best rankings system in the business empowers consumers and No. 1-ranked brands alike across 50 segments and 300 vehicles scored. We put 75 years of testing and car-reviewing experience into our rankings system, which evaluates vehicles the way real car shoppers do. Editorial Integrity The MotorTrend team's skill sets are diverse and varied. We pride ourselves on presenting expertly edited and highly curated stories to our readers that feature our unique perspective mixed with objective analysis garnered from our extensive testing regimen and data tools. We rely on our decades of experience and expertise honed in covering the entire automotive industry to cut through the marketing and advertising noise and get to the heart of what our readers need to know about the latest SUVs, cars, and trucks. In addition, every story we do is subjected to a rigorous editing process that further strengthens it before publication. What you'll read from us through our detailed vehicle reviews, news reports, and engaging feature stories is nothing less than unbiased, factually accurate, and entertaining. We answer to no one but our readers. We're not often wrong, but when we are, we own up to it and make it right. MotorTrend's editorial mission is further strengthened by our world-class technical teams, which provide insightful analysis as a result of in-depth, meticulous, and expansive instrumented testing. The data they provide are often critical in helping our editors decide which vehicles will be crowned with one of our prestigious 'Of The Year' awards, or provide context when evaluating an electric vehicle's real-world range or fast-charging capabilities. Affiliate Disclosure MotorTrend participates in affiliate marketing programs, and as such we may earn commissions on products purchased through links to retailer sites. The products featured on MotorTrend, however, are independently tested and researched by our editors. We always put the consumer first and recommend only products that we stand behind. Privacy Policy We take the trusted relationship we have with our readers very seriously and to make sure they are protected while using our site, we maintain a strict privacy policy. About MotorTrend Magazine MotorTrend magazine first appeared on store shelves in September 1949, produced by the famed Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles and bearing the tagline 'The Magazine for a Motoring World.' Since then, MotorTrend has been motoring forward in print to become an automotive institution that just celebrated its diamond anniversary. MotorTrend is a true lean-back experience, featuring world-class photography and design, highly curated words, and in-depth analysis and information you'll come back to again and again. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO MOTORTREND AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER HERE. Contact Us To reach MotorTrend's editorial department, please email motortrend@ or write us at: MotorTrend 2004 Park Pl, Unit-K, El Segundo, CA 90245
