Independent Reviews of New and Used Cars

The fieriest kind of MINI Convertible is this one, the John Cooper Works variant. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the latest F67 version.

BMW’s i4 Gran Coupe claims an electrifying proposition in top M60 AWD form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

By 2020, we’d seen plenty of Audi PHEV hybrid models, but this was a more credible one. To be frank, it doesn’t really offer much you can’t also get from rivals sold by BMW and Mercedes from this era. But it doesn’t lack much that these competitors offer. Which means that if you are attracted by this A6’s effortlessly cool vibe, classy cabin and uber-smooth refinement - as plenty in this segment are - then there are a few reasons not to sign your cheque Ingolstadt’s way. An early 50 TFSI e has drive range that looks embarrassingly small by current segment standards. And offers a rather compromised luggage compartment compared to a more conventional C8-era A6. Still, for the right money, one of these could still make all kinds of sense.

MG’s HS Hybrid+ looks a really strong proposition in this Hybrid+ form, thinks. Jonathan Crouch.

Volvo certainly flourished in this period under foreign ownership. You might have expected Chinese control to stifle the company’s Scandinavian character. Instead, what we were given here was a return to Swedish charisma and an emphasis on the cool restrained style and real world practicality epitomised by the Gothenburg brand. Of course, this Volvo’s not perfect. There are still sharper-handling choices and more capable off roaders in this sector from this period. In balancing its own blend of virtues though, this XC90 set its own class standard and in doing so, established a family benchmark amongst luxury SUVs that rivals struggled to match. Especially in this post-2019-era updated form. Company founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson would have liked this car. More importantly though, if you’re shopping in this segment, we think you will too.