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NEW 508 PIONEERING PERFORMANCE AGAIN 360 hp�–�CO₂ From 42 g/km*�–�All Wheel Drive Official Fuel Consumption in MPG (l/100km) and CO₂ emissions (g/km) for the new 508 PEUGEOT SPORT ENGINEERED range are: Combined N/A – 138.9 (0.0 - 2.0) and CO₂ 0 - 42 g/km. The fuel consumption or electric range achieved, and CO₂ produced, in real world conditions will depend upon a number of factors including, but not limited to: the accessories fitted (pre and post registration); the starting charge of the battery (PHEV only); variations in weather; driving styles and vehicle load. The plug-in hybrid range requires mains electricity for charging. The WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) is used to measure fuel consumption, electric range and CO₂ figures. Figures shown are for comparison purposes and should only be compared to the fuel consumption, electric range and CO₂ values of other cars tested to the same technical standard. The figures displayed for the plug-in hybrid range were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. *Figures shown are for the new 508 PEUGEOT SPORT ENGINEERED. Information correct at time of going to print. Visit peugeot.co.uk for further details.
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57 ‘For the nose, we scanned the Tamiya toy and turned it into full size’ THIS WEEK Issue 6484 | Volume 310 | No 3 NEWS Mazda MX-5 Clever tech wil l keep al l -new one petrol 4 Nissan GT-R New-generation Godzilla is on the way 6 New car sales slump Analysis of 34% September fa l l 8 New Lotus EV chassis Other makers likely to use it 10 UK’s electric car grant How much longer wil l i t last? 12 TESTED BMW i4 M50 M division’s f i rst EV outmuscles M4 16 Cupra Born Moment of truth for sporty take on ID 3 20 DS 4 E-Tense 225 Plug-in hybrid rival to A3 and X2 24 Honda HR-V Hybrid-only for all-new generation 26 Skoda Fabia Polished new supermini tries UK roads 28 Renault Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145 ROAD TEST 30 FEATURES Mustang Mach-E vs Sierra Cosworth Fast Ford feud 40 BMW’s design chief Domagoj Dukec on being bold 48 Undercover report Real waiting times for new cars 50 New Tyrrell P34 The US racer who’s had two built 57 OUR CARS Porsche 718 Boxster GTS Epic European road trip 62 Ford Mondeo Roof box required on hybrid estate 65 EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Details of Lotus EV platform laid bare 11 Jim Holder China’s EV makers: the next big thing? 13 Steve Cropley French cars to the fore; cheapo ID 3 15 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 38 Damien Smith Evans above: Elfyn leaps to WRC win 54 Motorsport round-up F 1 , ral lycross , DTM, Le Mans 55 Your Views Boxster, digital licences, Citroën Ami 60 Matt Prior Daphne i s bound to love a Jazz, r ight? 82 DEALS James Ruppert Top French execs for banger money 66 As good as new Audi A7 Sportback, now from £32k 69 Spied in the classifieds Estates special includes M5 70 Used buying guide Westfield SE: l ight , fun, cheap 72 New cars A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenos 74 Road test index Track down that road test here 81 Autocar, IS SN number 1355-8293 (USPS 25185), i s published weekly by Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. The US annual subscription price i s $199.78. Air f re i ght and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd F l oor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Autocar, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd F l oor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. Air Business Ltd i s acting as our mailing agent. Autocar i s published by Haymarket Automotive, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 3SP, UK, haymarketgroup.com Tel +44 (0)20 8267 5000 Autocar magazine i s also published in China, Greece, India , Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Autocar i s a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think we haven’t met those standards and want to make a complaint, contact autocar@haymarket.com. For more information, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk Haymarket i s cer t i f i ed by BSI to environmental standard ISO14001 and energy management standard ISO50001 PEFC Certified This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources www.pefc.co.uk TROUBLE FINDING AUTOCAR? I f you struggle to f ind a copy of Autocar in your l ocal retailer or area, please send an email to alex.drummond@flgroup.co.uk who wil l investigate the problem for you. Autocar i s a member of the organising committee of Car Of The Year caroftheyear.org FIRST VERDICT ON BMW’S 536BHP i40 M50 16 ROAD TEST: RENAULT’S NEW HYBRID ARKANA 30 MUSTANG MACHE vs SIERRA RS COSWORTH 40 COVER STORY ❝CAR BUYERS AND THE MEDIA ARE NOT EXAGGERATING THE NEW CAR DELIVERY ISSUE❞ JOHN EVANS GOES MYSTERY SHOPPING TO SEE HOW LONG YOU’LL REALLY WAIT 50 IMAGE ALLNEW MAZDA MX5 KEEPS IT OLDSCHOOL 4 COMMENT CHIPS ARE DOWN AS A NEW TREND RISES LAST MONTH’S NEW car sales were the worst recorded for the traditionally bumper month of September since the UK switched to the twonumberplates-a-year system in 1999 (p8). The reason? It’s that shortage of semiconductor computer chips again, which are causing serious ongoing harm to the production of new cars and their availability. The tip of the iceberg is the Ford Fiesta. For so long Britain’s best-selling car, it didn’t even make the top 10 in September. There is not one Fiesta in stock in the UK, and if you order one now, it’ll arrive after next March. We reveal other remarkable, long lead times this week (p50). How about 2023 for a new Land Rover Defender? While you’d expect Fiesta sales to return to normal once the chip crisis is resolved, other sales trends seen in the latest data will be more permanent. Just one in 10 new cars sold in the UK during September was diesel powered, compared with almost one in seven being purely battery-electric powered. Only five years ago, half of all cars sold here were diesel, and you couldn’t even fill Wembley stadium with the buyers of all electrified vehicle types (hybrids, plug-ins, full EVs). Now, electrified cars make up the majority of new car sales. Whatever the external factors, change is happening faster than ever to the UK’s car parc. 1 13:36:02 CAR CRIME SPECIAL IS YOUR CAR REALLY SAFE? 99 NEW CARS FIRST FOR NEWS AND REVIEWS EVERY WEEK Est.1895|autocar.co.uk|6Octob Est.1895|autocar.co.uk|6October2021 IMAGE BMW’S BIG BET OFFICIAL NEWROLLSSPECTRE NEXT 3 NEXT 3 SERIES The radical saloon that’ll change BMW as we know it » EV power for 2025 »Amazing new tech » Bold new design IMAGE KIA’S LOTUS DRIVEN VW’s £17k EV E-TYPE REBOOTED LUPO GTI USED GUIDE 6 – 1 3 O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 £ 3 . 8 00 6 O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 | M e r c e d e s B e n z E C l a s s The most unlikely sports car ever Is it really worth £500k? Pocket-money price, pocket-sized fun ROAD TEST: MERC E-CLASS CABRIO WE DESIGN AN ‘ ICONIC’ EV CHARGER Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com @mtisshaw NEVER MISS AN ISSUE Subscribe p38 13 OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3

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57

‘For the nose, we scanned the Tamiya toy and turned it into full size’

THIS WEEK

Issue 6484 | Volume 310 | No 3

NEWS

Mazda MX-5 Clever tech wil l keep al l -new one petrol 4 Nissan GT-R New-generation Godzilla is on the way 6 New car sales slump Analysis of 34% September fa l l 8 New Lotus EV chassis Other makers likely to use it 10 UK’s electric car grant How much longer wil l i t last? 12

TESTED

BMW i4 M50 M division’s f i rst EV outmuscles M4 16 Cupra Born Moment of truth for sporty take on ID 3 20 DS 4 E-Tense 225 Plug-in hybrid rival to A3 and X2 24 Honda HR-V Hybrid-only for all-new generation 26 Skoda Fabia Polished new supermini tries UK roads 28 Renault Arkana E-Tech Hybrid 145 ROAD TEST 30

FEATURES Mustang Mach-E vs Sierra Cosworth Fast Ford feud 40 BMW’s design chief Domagoj Dukec on being bold 48 Undercover report Real waiting times for new cars 50 New Tyrrell P34 The US racer who’s had two built 57

OUR CARS Porsche 718 Boxster GTS Epic European road trip 62 Ford Mondeo Roof box required on hybrid estate 65

EVERY WEEK Jesse Crosse Details of Lotus EV platform laid bare 11 Jim Holder China’s EV makers: the next big thing? 13 Steve Cropley French cars to the fore; cheapo ID 3 15 Subscribe Save money and get exclusive benefits 38 Damien Smith Evans above: Elfyn leaps to WRC win 54 Motorsport round-up F 1 , ral lycross , DTM, Le Mans 55 Your Views Boxster, digital licences, Citroën Ami 60 Matt Prior Daphne i s bound to love a Jazz, r ight? 82

DEALS

James Ruppert Top French execs for banger money 66 As good as new Audi A7 Sportback, now from £32k 69 Spied in the classifieds Estates special includes M5 70 Used buying guide Westfield SE: l ight , fun, cheap 72 New cars A-Z Key car stats , from Abarth to Zenos 74 Road test index Track down that road test here 81

Autocar, IS SN number 1355-8293 (USPS 25185), i s published weekly by Haymarket Media Group, Bridge

House, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. The US annual subscription price i s $199.78. Air f re i ght and mailing in the USA by agent named WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd

F l oor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Autocar, WN Shipping USA, 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd F l oor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at Haymarket Media Group, Bridge House, 69 London Road,

Twickenham TW1 3SP, United Kingdom. Air Business Ltd i s acting as our mailing agent. Autocar i s published by Haymarket Automotive, Bridge House, 69 London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex,

TW1 3SP, UK, haymarketgroup.com Tel +44 (0)20 8267 5000 Autocar magazine i s also published in China, Greece, India , Indonesia, Japan, Korea,

Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Autocar i s a member of the Independent Press Standards

Organisation (IPSO). We abide by the Editors’ Code of

Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think we haven’t met those standards and want to make a complaint, contact autocar@haymarket.com. For more information, contact

IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

Haymarket i s cer t i f i ed by BSI to environmental standard

ISO14001 and energy management standard

ISO50001

PEFC Certified

This product is from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources www.pefc.co.uk

TROUBLE FINDING

AUTOCAR? I f you struggle to f ind a copy of Autocar in your l ocal retailer or area, please send an email to alex.drummond@flgroup.co.uk who wil l investigate the problem for you.

Autocar i s a member of the organising committee of Car Of The Year caroftheyear.org

FIRST VERDICT ON BMW’S 536BHP i40 M50 16

ROAD TEST: RENAULT’S NEW HYBRID ARKANA 30

MUSTANG MACHE vs SIERRA RS COSWORTH 40

COVER STORY

❝CAR BUYERS AND THE MEDIA ARE NOT EXAGGERATING THE NEW CAR DELIVERY ISSUE❞

JOHN EVANS GOES MYSTERY SHOPPING TO SEE HOW LONG YOU’LL REALLY WAIT 50

IMAGE

ALLNEW MAZDA MX5 KEEPS IT OLDSCHOOL 4

COMMENT

CHIPS ARE DOWN AS A NEW TREND RISES

LAST MONTH’S NEW car sales were the worst recorded for the traditionally bumper month of September since the UK switched to the twonumberplates-a-year system in 1999 (p8). The reason? It’s that shortage of semiconductor computer chips again, which are causing serious ongoing harm to the production of new cars and their availability. The tip of the iceberg is the Ford Fiesta. For so long Britain’s best-selling car, it didn’t even make the top 10 in September. There is not one Fiesta in stock in the UK, and if you order one now, it’ll arrive after next March. We reveal other remarkable, long lead times this week (p50). How about 2023 for a new Land Rover Defender? While you’d expect Fiesta sales to return to normal once the chip crisis is resolved, other sales trends seen in the latest data will be more permanent.

Just one in 10 new cars sold in the UK during September was diesel powered, compared with almost one in seven being purely battery-electric powered. Only five years ago, half of all cars sold here were diesel, and you couldn’t even fill Wembley stadium with the buyers of all electrified vehicle types (hybrids, plug-ins, full EVs). Now, electrified cars make up the majority of new car sales. Whatever the external factors, change is happening faster than ever to the UK’s car parc.

1 13:36:02

CAR CRIME SPECIAL IS YOUR CAR REALLY SAFE?

99 NEW CARS FIRST FOR NEWS AND REVIEWS EVERY WEEK

Est.1895|autocar.co.uk|6Octob

Est.1895|autocar.co.uk|6October2021

IMAGE

BMW’S BIG BET

OFFICIAL NEWROLLSSPECTRE

NEXT 3

NEXT 3 SERIES

The radical saloon that’ll change BMW as we know it » EV power for 2025 »Amazing new tech » Bold new design

IMAGE

KIA’S LOTUS

DRIVEN VW’s £17k EV

E-TYPE REBOOTED

LUPO GTI USED GUIDE

6 – 1 3 O c t o b e r

2 0 2 1

£ 3 .

8 00

6 O c t o b e r

2 0 2 1

|

M e r c e d e s B e n z E C l a s s

The most unlikely sports car ever

Is it really worth £500k?

Pocket-money price, pocket-sized fun

ROAD TEST: MERC E-CLASS CABRIO WE DESIGN AN ‘ ICONIC’ EV CHARGER

Mark Tisshaw Editor mark.tisshaw@haymarket.com

@mtisshaw

NEVER MISS AN

ISSUE Subscribe p38

13 OCTOBER 2021 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3

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