WHATCAR? BUYER’S GUIDE

WELCOME

February 2025

Family and luxury SUVs

Thinking about buying a new car in the next 12 months? Here’s our guide to the models you might want to wait for

Jaguar GT EV

Executive cars and GTs

Mini Cooper Convertible

Small cars

Volk swagen ID 2

Smallest model yet in Volkswagen’s electric car line-up promises a range of up to 280 miles – and a hot GTI version is in the pipeline

Renault 4

Small SUVs

Porsche Boxster/Cayman EV

Sports and performance cars

Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door EV

Successor to the V8-powered GT 4-door Coupé is AMG performance division’s first bespoke electric model

Audi A6 Avant e-tron

Audi’s large executive model switches to electric power, with the estate version taking on the BMW i5 Touring On sale Now Price from £64,300

Volvo XC90

Facelifted combustion-powered seven-seat SUV gains refinement tweaks and updated infotainment On sale Now Price from £63,790

Alpine A290

Sportier version of the Renault 5 electric car aims to deliver hot hatch thrills for a reasonable price On sale March Price from £33,500

BYD Sealion 7

Chinese brand BYD’s line-up continues to expand with this new, Tesla-rivalling electric family SUV On sale Late 2024 Price from £45,000 (est)

Skoda Octavia vRS

Spacious hot hatch gets more power and a fruitier exhaust, but do these things make it better to drive? On sale Now Price from £38,670

Cupra Tavascan

The Tavascan is Cupra’s first electric SUV, and its second electric model after the impressive Born hatchback On sale Early 2025 Price from £47,340

BMW 330e

Plug-in hybrid exec gets a bigger battery for a boost in official electric range – and lower company car tax On sale Now Price from £46,985

Porsche Macan Electric

Entry-level Macan has the longest official range of the line-up. Could it be the one to have? On sale Now Price from £68,555

Vauxhall Frontera

A familiar name returns to replace the Crossland small SUV, and you can have it in petrol or electric form On sale Early 2025 Price from £23,495

Dacia Spring

The UK’s most affordable electric car arrives on our shores – but is it the bargain it appears to be? On sale Now Price from £14,995

Mercedes-Benz CLE 300e

Here’s a relatively rare offering: a plush two-door coupé with tax-friendly plug-in hybrid power On sale Now Price from £60,610

Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica

The 278bhp Veloce impresses, but how about the cheaper 154bhp version? On sale Now Price from £33,895

Kia EV3

Smallest member yet of Kia’s EV electric car family spells big trouble for plenty of rivals On sale January Price from £32,995

WHAT THE BUDGET MEANS FOR MOTORISTS

Did the Government’s Autumn Budget help or harm motorists? Claire Evans looks at the measures implemented, and those left out

OUR MANIFESTO FOR ACHIEVING EV GOALS

If the Government is serious about phasing out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, this is what it should do, says Claire Evans

Dacia Bigster

Our reader jury pores over Dacia’s largest model yet, as the brand takes the fight to the best family SUVs

Bucking the trend

Do you think electric cars are all too expensive? Well, think again, because the number of affordable options is growing steadily. We take three on a road trip to find out which one offers the best value

One of the family

These upmarket family SUVs promise comfort, space and technology in abundance. But if you have to choose a favourite, which one will it be?

Mazda MX-30 R-EV Makoto

Our reigning Plug-in Hybrid of the Year has its flaws, but overall it’s been a hit, thanks to its greater usability compared with the fully electric version

Audi A6 Avant

45 TFSI quattro Sport

Cupra Formentor

1.5 e-Hybrid 272 VZ First Edition DSG

Tesla Model 3

Long Range AWD (used)

Honda e:Ny1

Advance

Renault Clio

1.0 TCe 90 Evolution

BYD Seal

390kW Excellence AWD

Ford Ranger Raptor

2.0 EcoBlue Auto 4WD

Volkswagen ID 7Pro

Match

Honda Civic

This hybrid family hatchback’s promise of great fuel economy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fun

The generation game

The Kia Sportage had plenty of new ideas when it arrived in 2021. So, does it now make a better used buy than the more traditional Mazda CX-5 ?

SMALL CARS

1 RENAULT CLIO Our pick 1.0 TCe

FAMILY CARS

1 TOYOTA COROLLA Our pick 1.8 Hybrid

HOT HATCHES

1 MERCEDES-AMG A45 Our pick S Plus

SMALL SUVs

1 LEXUS LBX Our pick 1.5 Premium

FAMILY SUVs

KIA SPORTAGE Our pick 1.6 T-GDi 3

SEVEN-SEATERS

1 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Our pick 1.6T

EXECUTIVE CARS

1 TESLA MODEL 3 Our pick RWD

LUXURY CARS

1 BMW X7 Our pick xDrive40d M

PLUG -IN HYBRIDS

1 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Our pick 1.5 TSI

ELECTRIC CARS

1 TESLA MODEL 3 Our pick RWD

ELECTRIC SUVs

1 SMART #3 Our pick Premium List

ESTATES

1 TOYOTA COROLLA TOURING SPORTS Our pick

COUPÉS

1 BMW 4 SERIES COUPÉ Our pick

CONVERTIBLES

1 BMW 4 SERIES CONVERTIBLE Our pick

SPORTS SUVs

1 PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPÉ Our pick S

SPORTS CARS

1 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN Our pick GTS

PERFORM ANCE CARS

1 BMW M3 TOURING Our pick xDrive

WHAT CAR ? DATA

Our A-Z of new cars lists every model

Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi

Audi

Audi, Bentley, BMW

BMW

BMW Alpina, BYD, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Citroën

Citroën, Cupra, Dacia

Dacia, DS, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford

Ford, Genesis, Honda

Hyundai, Ineos, Jaecoo, Jeep

Jeep, KGM, Kia

Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover

Land Rover, Leapmotor, Lexus

Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, Maxus, Mazda

Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz, MG

MG, Mini, Nissan

Nissan, Omoda, Ora, Peugeot

Peugeot, Polestar, Porsche, Renault

Renault, Rolls-Royce, Seat, Seres

Skoda, Skywell, Smart

Subaru, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota

Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Volkswagen, Volvo

GONE BUT NOT FORGOT TEN

RECENT DEPARTURES FROM DATA

EV Charging Accessories

Standard Speed Type 2 to Type 2 Charging