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STAR CARS OF 2026

Executive cars and GTs

Polestar 5

SPRING

Mercedes-Benz C-Class EQ

Electric version of Mercedes-Benz’s traditional BMW 3 Series rival is expected to closely match the i3 for range and charging speed

Renault Twingo

LATE 2026

Volkswagen ID Polo

Long-running small car joins the plug-in party; this fully electric model will be sold alongside the popular petrol-engined version

Kia EV5

LATE EARLY2025 2026

Mercedes-Benz GLC

SUMMER

Toyota RAV4

New plug-in hybrid family SUV retains its characteristic utility while dialling up the sports side for its sixth generation

Volvo EX60

SPRING

Nissan Juke EV

SUMMER

Skoda Epiq

Electric small SUV relative of the Volkswagen ID Polo promises big versatility at a compact price

Ferrari Elettrica

AUTUMN

Audi RS6

Executive rocketship promises electrifying performance in more ways than one; there’ll be fully electric and plug-in hybrid versions

Porsche Cayenne Electric

SUMMER

Hyundai Ioniq 3

AUTUMN

BMW iX3

Reinvented electric SUV promises to move the game on with a radical interior, ultra-fast charging and 500-mile efficiency On sale March 2026 Price from £58,755

BYD Atto 2 DM-i

Chinese brand’s small electric SUV is being joined by a keenly priced plug-in hybrid version On sale March 2026 Price from £25,000 (est)

Toyota bZ4X

Facelifted electric SUV gets new batteries, faster charging and a revised interior On sale January 2026 Price from £39,995

Cupra Raval

Small electric hatchback will take on the Renault 5 – and there will be a hot version On sale September 2026 Price from £26,000 (est)

Peugeot 308

Steadfast family car gets a new lease of life with fresh looks and revised engines On sale January 2026 Price from £29,550

BMW XM

The first bespoke BMW M car since the iconic M1 supercar is a luxurious hybrid SUV On sale Now Price from £112,820

Vauxhall Mokka GSE

GSE is a quicker, sportier version of Vauxhall’s small electric SUV On sale January 2026 Price from £36,820

MG S6

New electric family SUV targets the Skoda Enyaq with an official range of up to 329 miles On sale January 2026 Price from £37,995

Fiat 500 Hybrid

Iconic small hatchback rediscovers its combustion-engined origins in a bid to broaden appeal On sale June 2026 Price from £19,000 (est)

Jeep Compass

Latest incarnation of this family SUV gets an electric option and a dose of Jeep’s traditional ruggedness On sale Early 2026 Price from £35,720

Plug-in cars hit with new road tax

The 3p-per-mile tax will raise costs for drivers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids by as much as £300 per year

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS

912 Expected power output (in bhp) of Lotus’s

Ford to introduce hands-free driving in four more models

Ford’s BlueCruise technology – the only level two-plus

Mitsubishi plots a return to the UK with a new model line-up

MITSUBISHI, THE JAPANESE car maker responsible for models

CHEAPEST NEW CARS TO INSURE

Car insurance can be costly, but there are still some cheap options out there. Here’s our round-up of the new models with the lowest premiums

Ways to save money on car insurance

PLAN AHEAD By purchasing cover several weeks before

READER TEST TEAM

Mazda CX-5

FOLLOW THE LEADER

The Mercedes-Benz CLA and MG IM5 are two fresh electric models with designs on the class-leading Tesla Model 3’s supremacy. We take a road trip to find out if there’s a new boss in town

A different kettle of swish

These posh family SUVs promise a little something extra to justify their premium prices. But should you buy Audi’s latest contender, or stick with the proven Volvo?

Cupra Tavascan vs Ford Capri

These electric SUVs are similar under the skin, but where do the differences lie? The keepers of our Tavascan and Capri swap cars to see which one they prefer

Renault 5

Comfort Range Techno

Audi E-tron GT

quattro

Alfa Romeo Junior

Ibrida Intensa

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

E300de Urban Edition

BYD Sealion 7

Excellence AWD

Skoda Elroq 85 Edition

George’s Elroq has a storage net under the

Tesla Model 3 Performance Dual Motor (used)

Model 3 is ludicrously quick in Sport mode,

Cupra Born

The Born isn’t just a practical electric family car; it’s also more fun to drive than most rivals

Group travel savings

Hybrid power helps to make these seven-seaters cost-effective to run, and they look great value if you buy them at three years old

BUYER’S GUIDE

BEST PRICE As the name suggests, this is

SMALL CARS

1 RENAULT CLIO Our pick 1.0 TCe 90

FAMILY CARS

1 TOYOTA COROLLA Our pick 1.8Hybrid Icon List

HOT HATCHES

1 MERCEDES-AMG A45 Our pick S Plus List

SMALL SUVs

1 LEXUS LBX Our pick 1.5 Premium Plus

FAMILY SUVs

1 KIA SPORTAGE Our pick 1.6 T-GDi Pure

SEVEN-SEATERS

1 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Our pick 1.6THybrid Premium

EXECUTIVE CARS

1 TESLA MODEL 3 Our pick RWD List

LUXURY CARS

1 BMW X7 Our pick xDrive40i M Sport

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

1 MG HS Our pick 1.5T Plug-in Hybrid

ELECTRIC CARS

1 RENAULT 5 Our pick Comfort Range Techno

SMALL ELECTRIC SUVs

1 KIA EV3 Our pick Standard Range Air

FAMILY ELECTRIC SUVs

1 SKODA ELROQ Our pick 85 Edition List

ESTATES

1 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Our pick 1.5 TSI eHybrid

COUPÉS/CONVERTIBLES

1 BMW 4 SERIES COUPÉ Our pick 420i

SPORTS SUVs

1 PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPÉ Our pick S List

SPORTS CARS

1 PORSCHE 718 CAYMAN Our pick GTS 4.0

PERFORMANCE CARS

1 BMW M3TOURING Our pick xDrive Competition List

DATA

STAR RATINGS ★★★★★ Outstanding ★★★★ ☆ Above average

Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi

Audi

Audi, Bentley, BMW

BMW

BMW Alpina, BYD, Changan, Chery, Chevrolet, Citroën

Citroën, Cupra

Cupra, Dacia, DS, Ferrari

Fiat, Ford, Genesis, GWM

GWM, Honda, Hyundai

Hyundai, Ineos, Jaecoo, Jeep, KGM, Kia

Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover

Land Rover, Leapmotor, Lexus

Lexus, Lotus, Maserati, Maxus

Maxus, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz, MG, Mini

Mini, Nissan, Omoda, Peugeot

Peugeot, Polestar, Porsche

Porsche, Renault, Rolls-Royce, Seat

Seat, Seres, Skoda

Skoda, Skywell, Smart, Subaru, Suzuki

Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota, Vauxhall

Vauxhall, Volkswagen

Volkswagen, Volvo

Volvo, Xpeng

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST AND BEST CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Everything you need to know every month

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

RECENT DEPARTURES FROM DATA