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  The   Kia Xceed  has proved to be an, ahem, exceedingly successful addition to the line-up for its maker. Since making its debut in 2019, the SUV-flavoured hatchback has notched up 120,000 sales across Europe as a whole, and in the UK, it makes up 10% of the Korean brand’s overall volume. Perhaps more pertinently, it represents half of all Ceed sales, which, following the recent demise of the  Renault Mégane  and imminent death of the  Ford Focus , feels like another nail in the coffin of the traditional compact family hatch. Either way, given the model has been a big hit and it’s less than three years since it made its debut, Kia has played fairly safe with the Xceed’s mid-life nip and tuck. Essentially, this is a cosmetic makeover overall, aimed mainly at enhancing the Kia’s already clearly considerable showroom appeal. There is the option of a feisty 201bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol, but it’s unlikely we’ll see this unit in the UK. For now, we have a 158bhp 1.5-l

  Some pairings just work: fish and white wine, apple and cinnamon, coffee and chocolate, hatchbacks and a stiffer, pointier chassis. Others are challenging from the outset: lobster with gravy, apple crumble with gravy, a sporty chassis with gravy. That doesn’t mean a talented chef can’t potentially make it work, but it’s an uphill battle. Like gravy, SUVs can be very appealing and are loved by many, but combine them with a delicate suspension set-up and their SUV-ness can dominate and make for a heavy-handed recipe. The people at  Hyundai ’s N performance division have so far proven to be proficient chefs when tackling the classics: the  Hyundai i30 N  is impressive and the i20 N is brilliant – our  favourite new hot hatch of 2021 . Have they been able to make the hot compact SUV work with the Kona N? Demonstrating just how difficult it is, the hot hatch masters at  Ford  did a great job on the  Ford Puma ST , but when you drive it, you’re constantly reminded that it’s very similar to

  Skoda has revealed the new Enyaq iV Coupé as its second all-electric model, following the launch of the straight-backed   Skoda  Enyaq SUV last year. Due to go on sale in the UK later this year, the Enyaq Coupé is effectively a sportily styled version of the existing Enyaq SUV and uses the same  Volkswagen  Group MEB platform. It is 4mm longer and 6mm taller than its SUV sibling, but the main design difference is its more sharply raked roofline from the B-pillar backwards. Although that reduces boot space from 585 to 570 litres, it does contribute to a better drag coefficient of 0.234 and – along with the coupé’s lighter weight – marginally increases the EV’s range. Whereas the Enyaq SUV is offered with two battery sizes, the Coupé will be available with only the larger, 77kWh (net) battery, capable of fast charging from 10% to 80% in 29 minutes. The entry-level model gets a single rear motor, producing 201bhp, and offers an official range of 339 miles. A twin- motor, all-wheel-drive

  Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer has confirmed its next three electric cars will all be smaller than the   Skoda  Enyaq SUV and   Enyaq Coupé  - but has said the firm wouldn’t rule out launching larger EVs in the future. The new  Enyaq Coupé iV  is  Skoda ’s second model built on the Volkswagen Group’s versatile bespoke electric MEB platform. As previously reported, the firm’s next priorities  include a smaller saloon-style car  – likely to be similar in size to the Volkswagen ID 3 – and its first model on the compact MEB Entry platform, which would essentially serve to replace the  Citigo e-iV  that went out of production in 2020. Last year, the  Volkswagen ID Life  and  Cupra Urban Rebel  concept previewed the first cars from those respective brands to use the new, smaller MEB platform, previewing production models due to arrive in 2025 with a target price of around £17,000. Asked when Skoda would showcase a model using that platform,  Schäfer  said: “Our colleagues from  Seat ,  Cupra  a

  All   Jaguar  Land Rover   models equipped with the firm's latest infotainment system now offer Amazon Alexa voice control functionality. The software has been added to the most recent iteration of JLR's Pivi Pro system, following its debut on the new  Range Rover , and will come fitted as standard to all new models.  Some 200,000 existing cars equipped with the platform – which first appeared in the Defender, from early 2020 – can be upgraded over-the-air with the Amazon Alexa system. Cars equipped with the entry-level Touch Pro infotainment platform, fitted to certain variants of the Evoque, Discovery and Discovery Sport, gain the Remote Skill, letting owners check in on their car on an Amazon Echo device in their home or via their phone. The new voice control system offers touchless control of the vehicle's navigation, music player, phone and smart device interfaces, and is so far available for both UK- and US-market cars. The company says this upgrade forms part of a

  There is a new rally-inspired, one-off special variant of the  Polestar 2  designed to tackle harsh winter environments. The so-called Arctic Circle edition is based on the 2’s dual-motor, long-range performance pack model and draws inspiration from winter rallying. Power has been uprated from the standard model, from 392bhp to 469bhp, while torque has increased to 501lb ft.  Other changes include springs softened by 30%, three-way performance dampers supplied and tuned by Öhlins and front and rear strut braces for improved rigidity and steering responsiveness.  The model is equipped with a new prototype launch control system, accessible through wheel-mounted panels. The extreme weather makeover also features custom-made 19in winter tyres with 4mm metal studs, which  Polestar   says give the 2 Arctic Circle “the mechanical credentials to be quick and agile on snow and ice”. Other rally-inspired changes include 19in racing rally wheels, four Stedi Quad Pro LED front lights, custom Rec

  Even in its 12th and final full year on sale, the P375-generation   Ford Ranger   remained by far Britain’s favourite pick-up truck. In a stupendous year for  Ford  Commercial Vehicles (in which the Transit Custom  was the UK's best-selling LCV , outselling even the best-selling car, the  Vauxhall Corsa , and followed by its larger  Ford Transit  sibling), 17,830 new Rangers took 42% of the pick-up market. That’s pretty impressive, even if the Ranger no longer has to worry about the Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara or Volkswagen Amarok, as these have all been taken off sale in recent years. Some of these Rangers would have been in the four special guises that Ford has introduced to celebrate the end of the P375 line: the MS-RT Limited Edition, Raptor Special Edition, Stormtrak and Wolftrak, all of which are still available to order. In Ford’s words, the Wolftrak is “an intrepid, rugged pick-up designed around the needs of customers who work outdoors and desire commanding off-road p

  Ford,   BMW ,   Mini . The top styling jobs at   Maserati ,   Ferrari ,   Fiat ,   Lancia   and   Alfa Romeo , then leading   McLaren’s   design journey from a standing start to the dawn of an entirely new product cycle. Frank Stephenson has some CV. Unfettered by the birth of Frank Stephenson Design in 2018, the 62-year-old American’s current projects are intriguingly diverse, extending well beyond the automotive world. So we wanted to know what views this unique perspective would lend to the armchair designer topics du jour. Should electric cars look different from fossil-burners? What four-wheeled artistry can I buy on a budget? And, not unimportantly, are SUVs inherently ugly? “The EV world will change everything we know about interior packaging. When you start reducing the powerplants, you’re going to open up a lot of room inside the vehicle, which should be used to maximum effect. You have to start radically changing the architecture. Family vehicles will have a lot more comfor

  All-round double wishbones, adjustable dampers, 330mm Alcon stoppers and 265mmwide rear tyres hinted at track potential, while a 2.5-litre Ford Duratec V6 used twin Garrett turbochargers to elicit breakneck starts and deeply impressive in-gear sprints from the car’s meagre 980kg mass. Tractability was good from low revs, but the blowers really started to tell around 2500rpm; pace matched the  Porsche 911 GT2  to 120mph. The combined noise from the intake, turbos and exhaust was all-enveloping. The Mondeo-derived five-speed manual ’box was quick and affable, and ABS-free brakes were dazzlingly effective. Grip astonished in both the dry and wet, and the chassis was a masterclass in control and response. Limits were high but needed respect in the absence of ESP. The quick, power-assisted steering lacked feel and resistance, though, making the helm feel edgy. The ride aped a larger  Lotus Elise : minimal body roll with a flowing, comfortable attitude over tricky roads. The interior was r

  UK sales of the rugged   Audi A4 Allroad   and   Audi A6 Allroad   estates have been ended, with   Audi  declaring no intention of importing any future generations.  The decision was taken due to the variants accounting for only a small proportion of sales for their respective model lines. Audi sold 292 examples of the A4 Allroad in 2021, for example, compared with 446 of the significantly more potent and expensive  Audi  RS4 Avant, accounting for just over a thirtieth of total  Audi A4  sales. The larger A6 Allroad was an even slower seller, shifting just 256 units in the UK last year, less than half the number of  Audi  RS6 Avants sold in the same period and just 4.4% of  Audi A6  sales. Neither variant is now available to configure on Audi UK's website, and a spokesman confirmed to Autocar that the German brand has no plans to bring any future Allroad models here. The A6 Allroad is expected to be updated in line with a mid-life refresh for the A6 in the next 12 months and  the

  It still had exotic aluminium, plastic and steel elements in its construction yet was simpler than its predecessor, being monocoque-Laguna-related rather than complicated spaceframey. The general specification has all the usuals, while Privilege trim adds alloys and climate control and uppermost Initiale brings leather upholstery.  There are plenty of decent petrol and diesel options. If you don’t do the miles, the 3.5-litre petrol V6 is going to be the bargain buy, along with the 2.0-litre four-pot. Realistically, it’s the 2.2-litre diesel four that delivers reasonable pep and MPG in the mid-to-high 30s, but the 1.9 dCi is a decent enough plodder and the 2.0 dCi is the easiest to find. There’s also an uncommon 3.0-litre diesel V6. The Espace was revamped a couple of times, in 2005 and 2006. You might notice the redesigned dashboard and front end. Of more use, though, was a sliding rail for the rear seats. As for problems, it’s usually electrics, meaning all the gadgets, plus the clu

  That’s usually enough drama for one decade. In car industry terms, however, the past 10 years have held as much turmoil and upheaval as the average geological epoch. In 2012, the  Tesla Model S  had yet to launch. The Paris Climate Accords to which Donald Trump would one day make the US deaf were still three years away from even being agreed. On our side of the pond, there wasn’t even a Euro 6 emissions standard in place for engineers to aim a ‘defeat device’ at, and so our love affair with diesel was still in its sooty, NOx-tacular full bloom. Other than the  Tesla Roadster , only three mainstream production electric cars had been developed to the point of global sale: the  Nissan Leaf , the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Renault Fluence ZE. Across the whole of Europe, fewer than 8000 examples of those three cars combined would be sold that year. Saab registered more cars than that the year before it went bankrupt (2011). Without wishing to put too fine a point on it, a supertanker load

  Like any modern Skoda, the original   Skoda Superb  of 2001 was based on something else. It was essentially just a Volkswagen  Volkswagen Passat , but what a wonderfully huge and useful saloon it turned out to be. On the diesel side, there was a hardworking 1.9-litre four-pot and a 2.5-litre V6, while the petrols were 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre four-pots and a 2.8-litre V6. There was something of a light restyle in 2006 that smoothed the grille and lights and delivered a backlit dashboard. The  second-generation Skoda Superb of 2008-2015  wasn’t just bigger and more handsome but really rather clever, too. The so-called Twindoor meant you could use a dinky bootlid or a tailgate to a cavernous hatch, depending on which button you press. And there’s an umbrella in the door, which is a novelty (but not a deal-breaker if it’s missing). As before, there are loads of engine options. The turbo petrols are great, despite having a thirst for oil. I would go for the larger 1.8 and 2.0 fours, but t