2019-10-01_CAR_UK

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

OCTOBER 2019 | CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK 149

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,
although the looks are neatly individual
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 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 is more racecar-like to drive

LAMBORGHINI

HURACAN EVO ★★★★★

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

Precisely halfway between armageddon on wheels
and a family-friendly five-door Lambo

LAND ROVER

DISCOVERY 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 is five-door only in its current

form, but still visually very strong and now better

than ever to drive, with a good engine line-up.

Even in its most basic form this makes most

other compact SUVs feel frumpy, ungainly or

compromised > 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

> Still the benchmark luxury SUV. 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

LEXUS

CT ★★★★★

> 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-focused

IS ★★★★★

> Sharp-suited, well-spec’d 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 bit hybrid-y, like almost every Lexus > Baby crossover that’s striking, quiet and

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,
which isn’t everyone’s idea of a good look, 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. This is the heritage that
the electric Evija must live up to
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 ★★★★★
Accomplished SUV that holds its own against the
Porsche Cayenne and Jaguar F-Pace, with all the
charm you expect from a Maserati > 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
3 ★★★★★
Most stylish family hatch on the market right
now? It’s also great to drive. Generally weak
engine range, including clever Skyactiv-X, the only
significant flaw > VERDICT A hatch you should pay
attention to – it’s good

6 SALOON/TOURER ★★★★★

> Boss won’t let you have a BMW 3-series? This

makes an impressive alternative. Handles well but

rides like the tyres have DTs > VERDICT Swoopily

styled, tax friendly, entertaining alternative to

po-faced VW Passat, although not anyone’s idea of

the ultimate driving machine

CX-3 ★★★★★

> Late arrival to compact crossover party is worth

a look thanks to smart cabin and crisp drive. Pity

about the firm ride > VERDICT Pricey, but better

than most rivals and well equipped

CX-30 ★★★★★

NEW

ENTRY

> Not called CX-4, which is odd. Stellar

interior and chassis lifted from the 3

hatch; engines just as limp > VERDICT

Does everything the 3 does but for more money

CX-5 ★★★★★

> How an SUV should drive. Better than ever, and

yet it’s still unfairly ignored in favour of inferior

rivals > VERDICT It’s the closest you’ll ever get to a

five-seat MX-5

MX-5 ★★★★★

> Shorter than the ’89 original, and in real terms

half the price. 1.5 sweet but a little slow; 158bhp 2.0

quicker but charismatically challenged > VERDICT

Brilliantly uncomplicated budget sports car

MX-5 RF ★★★★★

> When a folding fabric roof is just too common to

contemplate, pay more for the heavier and more

complicated RF and never fold the bloody roof

down anyway > VERDICT Right car, wrong spec

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

trick suspension, but keeps carbon MonoCell and

twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8. Now available with glass

hatch, too > VERDICT S and GT performance near

identical; both make 911 Turbo S feel too normal

6 0 0 LT ★★★★★

>comprehensive track-focused re-engineering and The Sports Series gets its LT; more power, a

high-mounted LT exhausts > VERDICT The most

thrilling McLaren this side of the Senna. (And let’s

face it: everything’s this side of the Senna)

720S ★★★★★

> 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

MERCEDES

A-CLASS ★★★★★

> higher-class cars to shame – even if most of the Sharp looks and an interior swish enough to put

best kit is optional. Dynamically still a bit slushy

> VERDICT Finally, a compact hatch worthy of

being called a Merc

Specialist

Maserati insurance

0333 043 3911

rhspecialistinsurance.co.uk

Value: £25,000.

Mileage: 1,000 per annum.

SDP use. Kept garaged at EX23.

Comprehensive rate: £333.56.

£250 excess applies.

35-year-old graphic designer,

clean licence.