The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
APRIL 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 147Looks good but as forgettable to drive as any other
baby crossover
CEED
Golf wannabe is big on equipment and not bad to
drive. Range-topping GT is an enjoyable if relatively
costly warm hatch > VERDICT Now with downsized
turbo engines. Europe still ahead. But only by a
whisker
KIA PROCEED
Nope, not a three-door hatch any more. Slick
shooting brake styling and solid interior hide
uncharismatic engines and indecisive auto
VERDICT Style and substance balance are a
little off
SOUL
Improved second-gen chunky spunky SUV better
to drive but ride and noise suppression poor. Petrol
version rubbish, but much cheaper > VERDICT A
Korean with character but other SUVs are more
rounded (in both senses)
OPTIMA
Sexless Mondeo clone cobbles together some
mojo via the addition of sharp-suited Sportswagon
and a plug-in hybrid > VERDICT All the car you’ll ever
need, but not the car you want
VENGA
Weird sit-up supermini-cum-MPV packs Focus
space into near-city-car dimensions. Hard to get
comfy, though. Best engine is the 1.4 petrol
VERDICT Too pricey and too ordinary to drive
for us to care, although the looks have an outside
chance of future-classic potential
CARENS
Big, versatile, value-packed seven-seater. Go
diesel – 1.6 petrol is wheezy > VERDICT For all its
pseudo-premium Euro aspirations, this is the stuff
Kia still does best
SPORTAGE
All-new, all-turbo SUV truly handles and rides
but somehow a picture of Mr Potato Head’s face
got mixed up with the final blueprints > VERDICT
Improved in just about every way – except to
look at
SORENTO
Ambitious new flagship SUV reckons it’s a real
Land Rover rival. Bigger than ever, as is the price:
up to a salty £40k. Only engine is a 2.2 diesel
VERDICT Impressive, but lacks badge and
performance of premium off-roaders
STINGER
Handsome four-door GT has a mountain to climb
to win over German exec buyers but it’s comfy and
a head-turner. Interior not as well-finished or techy
as rivals > VERDICT An impressively solid first
effort; V6 GT-S is playful
KTM
X-BOW
22nd century Ariel Atom mixes carbonfibre
construction with hardy Audi turbocharged 2.0
four-pot > VERDICT Big money, big grins, but
single-seat BAC Mono gives more racecar-like
experience
LAMBORGHINI
HURACAN EVO
NEW
ENTRY> Spine-tingling V10, beguiling looks
and enhanced dynamic ability make
the Evo a proper performance
contender > VERDICT Almost unbearably
charismatic and achingly desirable
AVENTADOR S
> Aventador hits the sweet spot: old enough to
sort the gripes associated with early versions and
young enough to not yet be the subject of 31 run-
out limited editions. Semi life-affirming
> VERDICT Pose-to-talent ratio heading in the right
direction
URUS
>it’s in a movie and is full of Audi bits Fast, capable SUV that sounds good, looks like > VERDICT It’s
quite something
LAND ROVERDISCOVERY SPORT
> ‘Educated, professional luxury SUV desperately
seeking decent diesel engine.’ Ingenium replied.
Happy ever after? > VERDICT Comfy silence a
promising start. We’ll know it’s love when they get
the interior decorators in
DISCOVERY
> Gen-5 Disco can climb mountains and social
strata with equal equanimity. Worryingly close to
Range Rover, slightly frustrating engine choice
> VERDICT The best seven-seat party wagon
money can buy
RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
> Posh mum’s SUV, now also a convertible, solving
the interior’s claustrophobia-triggering tendencies.
Ingenium engines commendably hushed
> VERDICT Pricey, but perfectly pitched
RANGE ROVER VELAR
> Sport-lite or Evoque-plus? Either way, Land Rover’s
centrally placed SUV is handsome, capable, well
finished and worthy of its name
> VERDICT The new benchmark Range Rover
RANGE ROVER SPORT
> As luxurious as a Rangie, as practical as a Disco,
better looking than an Evoque and could follow a
Defender cross country > VERDICT Very good at
just about everything
RANGE ROVER
BEST IN
CLASS> Benchmark luxury SUV now even
better with techier cabin. V6 diesel
acceptable, supercharged V8 petrol
hilarious, PHEV pointless > VERDICT The perfect
car for smuggling cash to Switzerland, skiing, turning
up at a ball, game shooting and being smug
LEXUSCT
> Pig-ugly premium Prius a mix of decent handling,
woeful performance and a ride so poor it makes a
black cab feel like an S-Class > VERDICT Wouldn’t
merit a single sale if company car tax bills were less
CO2-focusedIS
> Sharp-suited, well-specced 3-series rival finally
gets decent rear space. Good chassis, but the 250
V6 is irrelevant, and the frugal hybrid is hobbled by
a nasty CVT > VERDICT So close. Needs a proper
automatic gearbox
ES
> Lexus changes tack in exec saloon fistfight by
removing samurai-styled, hybrid-powered GS and
replacing it with samurai-styled, hybrid powered
ES. No, we don’t know why they went to the effort
either > VERDICT Smooth and quiet, with well built
if awkward interior. Sound familiar?
LS
> Interior materials are to die for, but hybrid
powertrain less than convincing > VERDICT You’d
have to REALLY want to be different
UX (^) a b> Baby crossover that’s striking, quiet and it hybrid-y, like almost every Lexus
VERDICT Efficient urban-focused feelgood
transport for those who value comfort over
ruggedness
NX
Trumps even the Audi Q5 with a fabulous interior
and arrest-me (for persecuting curves) exterior
design. Fwd or 4wd with electric motor at rear
VERDICT Doesn’t work as a driver’s car, so take the
NX300h hybrid over faster, costlier NX200t
RX
Looks like Lord Vader’s helmet with wheels on,
but interior opulence and general tranquillity make
up for idiosyncratic infotainment issues
VERDICT Build quality and refinement to save the
galaxy, even if the hybrid tech won’t
RC/RCF
RCF’s old-school unblown V8 completes
charismatic package that shocked M4 in our Giant
Test. Elegance of regular range can’t overcome
lack of diesel option > VERDICT Deserve more
success than they’ll likely get
(^) LC500
A serious sports car from the most serious of
makers gets a clever hybrid or a tasty V8, 10-speed
auto and less bovine acoustics. It’s quite sexy
VERDICT Proof that Lexus is no longer the
Japanese Mercedes
LOTUS
ELISE
Reminds just how connected cars used to be.
Slothful 1.6 reminds how they used to go, too,
so pick the 1.8 instead > VERDICT A 10-year-old
example does the same job for half the price
EXIGE
Gym-bunny Elise with supercharged V6 retains
beautifully unassisted steering. Superb 350 Sport
turns up the wick > VERDICT The Lotus our tyre-
frying Ben Barry would buy
EVORA 400
Lost its looks but gained supercharged 400bhp
VERDICT The chassis and steering are Lotus at
its sparkling best. Sublime
MCLAREN
540C
The world’s first decontented supercar. Entry
level doesn’t get any better > VERDICT The work of
a very focused company somewhere near the top
of its game
570S/570GT
Base McLaren ditches carbon body and
super-trick suspension, but keeps carbon
MonoCell and twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8. Now
available with glass hatchback, too > VERDICT S
and GT performance near identical; both make 911
Turbo S feel too normal
600LT
comprehensive track-focused re-engineering The Sports Series gets its LT; more power, a
(including a few 720S bits) and high-mounted
LT ex h a u s t s > VERDICT The most thrilling
McLaren this side of the Senna. (And let’s face it:
everything’s this side of the Senna)
720S
Big Mac’s 650S replacement turns the wick
up and is measurably better in every way than
a 488. Maranello won’t be pleased
VERDICT Obscenely fast and engaging –
we just wish it was louder
SENNA
As happy breaking lap records as it is nipping to
the shops. Astounding engineering achievement
that makes the P1 feel slow > VERDICT Named after
a hero – but you don’t need to be one
MASERATI
GHIBLI
Small exec drives great, looks the business,
doesn’t have the four-cylinder diesel that will get
it on your shopping list. A shame > VERDICT An
alcohol-free Quattroporte
QUATTROPORTE GTS
A brilliant blend of Maranello turbo V8 wrapped in
some gracefully ageing Maserati bits. Remains the
coolest four-door car money can buy > VERDICT It
won’t let you in unless you’re in a suit or chinos
GRAN TURISMO/GRAN
CABRIO
Four genuine seats a rarity in this class, but fill
them and you’ll regret choosing the weedy 4.2 over
the 4.7 at the first sniff of a hill > VERDICT Podgy,
pretty, practical GT for folk who hate four-door faux
coupes. And luggage
LEVANTE
Maserati’s long-awaited SUV is better than the
Ghibli. And the UK is getting petrol, after initially
being threatened with diesel-only line-up > VERDICT
Far from flawless but it’ll show you a good time
MAZDA
2
Shot-in-the-arm supermini packs good value,
handling and looks, leaving sweat marks on the
shirts of the VW Polo marketing team > VERDICT
Under-radar Fiesta threatener gatecrashes the
top table
ON YOUR
PHONE.
ON YOUR
TAB LET.
ON YOUR
COMPUTER.