Vauxhall’s mid-sized van, the Vivaro, has been given a GS model for 2022, adding some exterior and interior touches in the name of sportiness. The GS trim level is available with both the conventional diesel Vivaro and the pure-electric Vivaro Electric version.
Available to order now, the Vivaro GS starts from £41,000 (excluding VAT) for the diesel and £55,000 for the Electric, but whatever powertrain you’ll choose the GS trim level features the same equipment.
Vauxhall says the GS offers up a new dynamic look on the outside, made up from a lip spoiler at the front, side skirts and integrated mud guards. The black 18-inch alloys are exclusive to the GS and high-load capacity tyres are standard. To the rear you’ll find a new spoiler and a redesigned bumper.
The inside of the Vivaro has also been revised for the GS models. Here we can see leather seats with GS logos and red stitching. The seats are perforated for better ventilation as well. For the Vivaro GS Electric, only the panel van bodystyle will be available but the 5-seat double cab body is an option on the diesel model.
The panel van and double cab Vivaro GS come with the van’s 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine. In the GS it pumps out 178bhp, a 35bhp increase over the rest of the diesel Vivaro range. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, emits 145g/km of CO2 and 51.3mpg on the combined cycle.
As for the Vivaro Electric (previously known as the Vivaro-e), in GS form you’ll receive a maximum 189-mile range from the 75kWh battery. 100kW rapid charging is supported, allowing for an 80 per cent charge in 45 minutes.
The addition of the GS trim level comes alongside new Prime and Pro variants – streamlining the Vivaro range. The Vivaro Prime comes in at £25,265 and the Vivaro Pro starts from £26,805, with the GS sitting above as the range-topping option.
The Lexus UX300e electric SUV is set to gain a larger battery next year, increasing driving range by approximately 40 per cent.
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The 2023 Lexus UX300e small electric SUV is due to receive an update in Australia next year, with a larger battery giving a 40 per cent boost in driving range.
Following updates to the standard UX petrol and hybrid range, Lexus has refreshed its smallest electric car with new technology, updated safety, a sharper chassis and a significant mechanical upgrade.
The current model’s 54.4kWh battery pack has been upgraded to a 72.8kWh unit, now capable of 450km of driving range in European WLTP testing – a 40 per cent increase over the current car’s 315km claim.
The existing 150kW/300Nm electric motor on the front axle has been retained, which in the 2022 model is capable of a 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds.
Despite the new battery, support for the CHAdeMO charging standard has also been carried over – a plug common to Japanese electric cars, but rarely fitted to European or South Korean electric vehicles, which opt for the more prevalent CCS standard.
The current Lexus UX300e can only achieve a maximum charging speed of 50kW – which compares to the circa-250kW of a Tesla Model 3, or the 150kW of a Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, the UX300e’s main rival. It is unclear if this has been upgraded for the 2023 model.
Alongside the new battery, changes have been made to improve the way the car drives, as well as increase its stiffness through 20 additional weld points.
Inside, the updated UX300e borrows the rest of the 2023 UX range’s 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen – which replaces the current car’s 10.3-inch unit, and ditches the controversial centre-console touchpad for interaction through finger touch only.
The larger screen runs new software, with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, an in-built web browser, a smarter satellite navigation system, a ‘Hey Lexus’ voice assistant, over-the-air updates, and support for the Lexus Connected Services smartphone app.
Other interior changes include a larger wireless smartphone charging pad, and two additional USB-C ports in the centre console.
Safety has been upgraded with intersection support for the autonomous emergency braking system, a revised lane-keep assist system, and the ability for the adaptive cruise control function to adjust its speed for corners.
The 360-degree camera in the Sports Luxury flagship variant has also been updated with an “underfloor view” which shows the road surface below the car.
The 2023 Lexus UX300e electric SUV is due in Australian showrooms sometime next year – joining the petrol and hybrid variants, which are in showrooms now.
Pricing will be announced closer to launch, however expect a price rise over the current model, priced from $74,000 plus on-road costs in Luxury guise, or $80,691 plus on-road costs in Sports Luxury trim.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020.
Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
Ferrari’s third model in its Icona series is unique – it’s the only mid-engined special so far, and the Daytona SP3 lives up to its billing. It’s a pure hypercar, with a pure-petrol, naturally aspirated V12 powertrain. Performance is ferocious, but the chassis and handling are a match. It’s an emotional, thrilling car, the Daytona SP3, a celebration of the Italian brand’s V12 that we’ll miss so much when it’s gone.
The Daytona SP3 is the latest instalment in Ferrari’s Icona range, which began with the SP1 and SP2 Monzas – single and twin-seat large roadsters without windscreens, based on the brand’s 812 Superfast road car – that were inspired by the sports car racers of the fifties.
The Icona range is about taking specific inspiration from a successful period of Ferrari’s past, and then reimagining it with the latest technology, the range sitting beside the ultimate Ferrari hypercars at the top of the tree – and priced accordingly. For the SP3, Ferrari has turned to its curvaceous racing sports cars of the sixties, in particular the Daytona 24 Hour-winning P4 of 1967, hence the Daytona SP3’s name.
To realise this concept, Ferrari has taken the carbon fibre chassis of the LaFerrari hypercar from nearly 10 years ago, in open ‘Aperta’ form, and substantially reworked it to meet current safety legislation. It has then taken the so-far ultimate version of its V12 engine – a 6.5-litre unit as used in the 812 Competizione – and evolved it with a completely new intake and exhaust system to liberate a further 10bhp, bringing the total to a staggering 829bhp. It is the most powerful internal combustion fitted to a Ferrari road car.
The rest of the Daytona is a logical use of Ferrari’s latest hardware, such as various chassis systems (such as the e-diff), carbon-ceramic brakes and the cockpit infotainment and driver displays from the 296 GTB. Nevertheless, there are plenty of examples of Ferrari putting the effort in to create a complete, polished car, such as the development of a bespoke Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyre for the SP3. Most of all though, it’s about the car’s sense of style, borne from a truly spectacular exterior design and a pod-like interior that mixes strong themes of the P4 with a futuristic vibe. On the road it is absolutely wild.
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It takes some contortion to get in behind the wheel, but once you’re there the view out is spectacular through the domed windscreen. You sit on one-piece hammock style seats formed from draping electric blue material over the tub itself, while the carbon fibre roof panel lifts out as the Daytona SP3 is a roadster. There’s also a temporary canvas roof that can be fitted in the advent of rain, as the main roof panel cannot be stowed in the car.
The big appeal of the SP3, certainly to enthusiasts, is that it brings Ferrari’s powerful V12 together with a mid-engined chassis – and yet without any sort of electrification in sight. That makes it a more traditional offering, as per its brief, although you do get Ferrari’s latest seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There is plenty of aerodynamic work at play too, although Ferrari is quick to point out that the SP3 hasn’t been developed with ultimate lap times in mind – rather as something that’s simply fun and rewarding to drive.
The resulting performance is absolutely huge: 0-62mph is listed as 2.9 seconds, but the sheer potency of the SP3 is unbelievable. It is genuinely a challenge to exceed 5,000rpm on the road, and once the engine is working up at 9,000rpm you daren’t take your eyes off the rapidly approaching horizon even to check the instrumentation. The volume and quality of the V12’s exhaust note is also exceptional, and initially it’s difficult to think past this. However, soon you realise that the steering is wonderfully accurate and well weighted, and that there’s a clear sense of how each corner of the car is working. It’s a monster, but you do learn to trust it, to gently tease its limits and to enjoy the feeling of the chassis working hard.
In a way, these dynamic rewards are a bonus, because for many the SP3 will be bought as an art piece – something to park in a very exclusive garage, alongside many other priceless classics. Talking of price, an SP3 would have cost £1.7 million, and we’re talking in past tense intentionally as they are all sold – buying was by invitation only. That’s a lot of money, but then the SP3 is quite some car.
It’s early days for the electric pick-up market, and indeed for Rivian, but this is an impressive and assured vehicle that will suit EV buyers wanting something with a mix of practicality, performance, plus good manners on and off road. We’ll reserve a star rating for our first drive on European shores.
The automotive industry as a whole might be slowing down because of circumstances outside of its control, but one area is gathering momentum: electricpick-up trucks. More and more EV trucks are appearing stateside, ranging from Tesla’s as-yet-unrealised Cybertruck, to the vast Hummer EV and the Ford F-150 Lightning.
Another American upstart is Rivian, and having made plenty of noise over the past few years with a prototype EV pick-up called the R1T, it’s finally on the road and we’ve been for an early drive.
The first production R1Ts are now with customers, and the brand’s forthcoming SUV, the R1S, will share much of the tech from this truck. They’ll be in Europe from next year and RHD UK cars may follow.
Instead of traditional dealerships, Rivian plans to open ‘Hubs’, the first of which is in Venice Beach, California. Like NIO’s ‘Houses’, these Hubs provide more than a place to look at the cars. Shared spaces, for working and being creative or relaxing, are all offered. The brand’s models look completely in place in the cool surroundings, surfboards hanging out of the rear of the R1S SUV.
But there’s nothing chilled out about the way the Rivian R1T pick-up performs, if you decide to lean on its quad-motor all-electric set-up. Two e-motors are mounted on each axle, with a total power output of 754bhp resulting in serious performance.
The 0-60mph sprint takes just three seconds, and despite the 2.7-tonne kerbweight there’s plenty to praise, dynamically, with the R1T. It’s almost like an electric sports car in its responses, and very different to any pick-up before it.
It’s agile, nimble almost, and it has the turning circle of a small hatchback plus supercar-rivalling acceleration. This in a vehicle that can wade through around a metre of water and with a payload capacity greater than 800kg.
There’s eye-catching tech and genuine practicality, too. The neatly integrated double-screen infotainment is tasteful, the front row is spacious and there are six USB ports throughout the cabin.
There’s lots of room for rear passengers, while there’s also a sizeable front boot and just ahead of the rear axle is the ‘Gear Tunnel’, which spans the body, made possible by the EV platform.
The 508 PSE scores reasonably well for practicality and is great to look at, but there are better-rounded and more engaging cars for the money. It feels like something of a missed opportunity for Peugeot, particularly given the firm’s performance history.
Mileage: 5,704
Economy: 35.2mpg
Our Peugeot 508 SW PSE was thoroughly tested in the first few months we ran it. We talked about its plug-in hybrid powertrain, its place in Peugeot’s efforts to push further upmarket plus the public’s perception of it. In its sternest trial of all, the car went up against a BMW 330e and lost, but by a margin small enough to have pleased Peugeot bosses, we’d guess.
But as the estate version of the 508 range-topper, its practicality needed further examination. I’m well placed to assess this, because as well as regularly carrying a seven-year-old child and all the related accessories, I’m in the midst of a garden sort-out that requires multiple trips to the local tip. I’m also a mountain biker.
How easy it is to load my Canyon Spectral bike is my practicality litmus test for pretty much any car I drive. Living in one of the flattest parts of the country means driving somewhere with gradients to get my biking kicks, and I’ll often bring it on trips where there might be a stop-off point for a ride.
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Much as cars have grown in size over the years, so have mountain bikes, particularly in the past decade or so. Handlebars are wider, wheels and tyres are bigger, and wheelbases are longer. So, it’s no longer a given that you’ll get the whole thing in an estate without some dismantling.
The 508 PSE doesn’t lose any boot space compared with its combustion-powered siblings due to the battery going in under the rear seats. The BMW 330e has 90 litres less boot space than its ICE equivalents. Providing 420 litres with the rear seats up and 1,420 litres with them folded, the BMW trails the 508’s 530/1,780-litre offering.
Yet it’s not quite as simple as the figures suggest. Although the 508’s boot has a flat floor up to the rear seats, there’s a sizeable hump at the opening to lift items over, and it’s clad in shiny metal trim, which is going to look quite beaten up after a few years of use. The car’s sloping roofline also means loading taller items like the office chair I picked up from Autovia HQ is trickier than you might expect.
But back to the bike fitting, where I must report it won’t fit in one piece, not due to the length of the boot, but because of the opening, which is narrower than I’d like, and the heavily raked rear windscreen on the boot lid. But it’s not a huge deal having to remove the front wheel, and in any case, I’m yet to find a modern estate that’ll take my bike whole. Plus, once everything’s stowed, I’m left with lots of room for gear.
Awkward access to the rear seatbelt buckles is a concern (my son struggles with them and it’s not much easier for me). Other criticisms include the low ceiling in the back, and the i-Cockpit set-up, for which I still haven’t found a comfy sitting position that doesn’t block at least part of the digital dials.
Despite the compromises of its slippery shape and the i-Cockpit, the 508 PSE is a very practical estate car, but not the one we’d recommend over some rivals nor the one I’d have personally. Even with my biking needs to consider, I’d happily forgo some boot space and go for the 330e for a greater sense of engagement and a more sporting drive. Or perhaps even the M340d Touring, with its superior long-distance economy and increased luggage space over the PHEV.
The 508 PSE’s driving experience sadly doesn’t live up to those handsome, Acid Green-accented looks. It struggles to hide its 1,875kg kerbweight in the corners, although it does feel quite punchy in a straight line. The gearbox is a little dim-witted, and the transitions between the hybrid system’s power sources aren’t always the smoothest. It also doesn’t help that getting hold of a 508 PSE isn’t cheap. It costs £56,465, or nearly £800 a month on a PCP deal.
Peugeot 508 PSE: second report
Sporty estate makes the grade as Peugeot heads upmarket
Mileage: 3,177
Economy: 45.8mpg
Peugeot’s push to go premium is working. The more time I spend living with this 508 SW Peugeot Sport Engineered, the more I’m convinced of that – and it’s not just me, either.
I’ve given friends and family members rides in the car, both short trips and long journeys, and they’ve all initially remarked on the 508’s styling. First impressions count, and on that front the PSE, with its sporty accoutrements, does well. Deep bumpers, big wheels, smart badging and a sleek rear, with a sporty spoiler and diffuser element in the rear bumper, complete with aero flicks, means this looks every inch the rival for premium fast German wagons.
Its Selenium Grey paintwork also helps: it’s a very modern, fashionable colour. Then those I’m driving get in and remark on the eye-catching but not intrusive bright green stitching, the tech and the quality of the materials. The seats are comfortable, and many front passengers are wowed when I say the PSE has massaging seats as standard.
When we move off in absolute silence they’re impressed with the refinement thanks to the plug-in powertrain, chatting away about how quiet it is; and when I can make an overtake or use the performance, the 355bhp on offer shuts them up again.
On more than one occasion when I’ve covered the badge on the steering wheel, my friends and family, who are less well automotively educated, have guessed this is either an Audi, a BMW or a Mercedes. Of course, they’re all wrong. When I tell them – if they haven’t already worked it out – that it’s a Peugeot they’re pleasantly surprised.
Older individuals remember Peugeots of old catering for motoring for the masses. These were mostly good to drive, with a great performance icon or two thrown into the mix, usually wearing a GTi badge. The PSE moniker now replaces this.
Then comes the killer question: how much does it cost? And here’s where Peugeot’s premium push might come just a little bit unstuck – according to my empirical evidence, at least.
When the inevitable game of ‘Guess the price’ starts and I remind them of the power, the performance, the plug-in hybrid tech, the level of standard kit and the fact that, seemingly, many modern cars are on the pricey side these days, most people’s answers reluctantly start with a ‘four’. “Wrong”, I say, doing my best Bruce Forsyth impression: “Higher”. Edging through the 40 thousands, quite a few are shocked when I tell them the 508 PSE’s price tag starts with a five. But when we rest at £56,465 for this admittedly slightly pricier but wholly more practical SW estate model, everyone is flabbergasted.
While the majority of UK buyers purchase using finance, even with a £5,405 deposit on a four-year contract limited to just 6,000 miles a year, Peugeot’s representative PCP example still comes in at £771 a month.
Personally, I actually think Peugeot can just about cut it, but it’s only time with the PSE that’s helped me get to that conclusion.
I could see why you’d initially not think the same. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this French manufacturer’s premium legacy won’t be, either. Take a look at Audi; 30 years ago it might not have been considered a particularly premium brand. Over the past 20 years
it’s accelerated rapidly into that space, dominating sales. Peugeot is moving in the right direction and it is products such as the 508 PSE that will help change people’s perceptions of the brand (Skoda is another good example on that front).
I’ve certainly found this out over the past four months. Every time I get into the PSE it does pretty much everything I want it to do with the minimum of fuss, with the exception of the occasionally slow and frustrating infotainment. In my book, that mostly makes it a great car to live with.
When you assess it like that, does it matter what badge adorns the bonnet, and shouldn’t it come down more to what a car offers and how it feels? Judged by these criteria over my time with it so far, the 508 PSE is a success in my book. Just maybe not yet for my friends and family, it seems.
Peugeot 508 PSE: first report
Our hot plug-in Peugeot 508 PSE estate makes a good first impression
Mileage: 2,257
Economy: 44.7mpg
Once, if you wanted a fast Peugeot, it would have been powered solely by petrol and relatively affordable. Plus – given that it probably had a GTi badge on its boot – you knew that, in the most part, it would ride and handle well. Peugeot made a return to form recently with its 208 and 308 GTi hot hatchbacks, which makes it all the more interesting that it’s confined ‘GTi’ to the history books – and I for one am sad at that.
However, I didn’t shed a tear for long, because the future is bright. It’s acid green, in fact, because the accents on this sleek 508 SW estate signify its halo status as a Peugeot Sport Engineered model – the French brand’s new tag for its fast offerings.
And green is appropriate, because the PSE is a plug-in hybrid, with the company using electrification to deliver performance, but with less of an impact on the environment as a result – or so the theory goes.
In the coming months, then, that’s what we’re aiming to find out: whether this 508 SW Peugeot Sport Engineered, to give it its full name, delivers not only on the brief as a performance Peugeot for the modern era and the brave new world of electrification, but also on its £55,830 price tag. Of course, you’re paying for a combustion engine, a battery and electric motor, but the fact is, a figure as high as that puts it in the same pool as BMW’s M340i xDrive Touring and Audi’s S4 Avant, turbocharged six-cylinder petrol and diesel models respectively, with genuine premium appeal and heritage.
But this 508 PSE is also representative of Peugeot’s rebrand to push upmarket, so it’s not just on performance that it needs to deliver, it also has to offer high quality.
Having done more than a thousand miles in the car since I took delivery last month, I’ve actually come away impressed. PSE, GTI, it doesn’t matter really, as long as the car delivers what you want it to. And while the 508’s internal-combustion engine isn’t an all-time great, it’s punchy enough and is supplemented by a hefty boost from its electric motor that makes this the most powerful Peugeot model ever to go into production. With 355bhp and a total of 520Nm on tap, it’s strong – when you’ve got the electrical assistance.
The 0-62mph sprint takes 5.2 seconds, and I get around 20 miles from a charge in the current wintry conditions. But when the battery is depleted, the petrol engine has to work that bit harder to carry the hybrid system’s extra mass around, and it starts to sound a bit coarse.
Even when the battery is nearly depleted, the first few yards as you pull away are often done on electric power. But then the petrol engine cuts in and the transmission struggles to smooth out the switch between power sources, with a laboured pause as it shuffles the two methods around.
At least the steering is sweet (one of the nicest set-ups in any modern hot Peugeot) and the ride acceptable, despite the chunky alloys. Big bumps do cause thumps, but otherwise it’s relatively controlled.
But what about the things you only find out by living with a car? Well, while I love the styling (bar the fake carbon fibre) and think it looks every inch the competitor to the Germans, the sleek, low roofline and high sills mean getting into the back is a little tight; a few people have now not only remarked on it, but also banged their heads.
Other practical considerations have materialised, too. I’m still not sold on the Peugeot i-Cockpit set-up, but it’s the location of the USB points and wireless charging pad that’s more annoying. You need an extra joint in your wrist to access them.
At least Peugeot has given some thought to life with a PHEV; a storage area for the charging cable under the boot floor stops the load space from getting cluttered up.
I like the massaging seats too. They’re comfortable, but having that functionality helps on a long journey. However, a few longer trips recently mean I’ve not charged up as much as I’d like, relying on petrol power alone. I’m still averaging more than 40mpg though, which is good. Hopefully in the next few weeks more local journeys will give us a chance to maximise this plug-in’s efficiency potential. We shall see.
Model:
Peugeot 508 SW Peugeot Sport Engineered
On fleet since:
January 2022
Price new:
£55,830
Engine:
1.6-litre 4cyl turbo petrol + 2x e-motor, 355bhp
CO2/tax:
41g/km/£480
Options:
N/A
Insurance*:
Group: 41 Quote: £506
Mileage:
5,704
Economy:
35.2mpg
Any problems?
None so far
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
This PureTech petrol model loses a little of its ride comfort when compared with the plug-in hybrid C5 X, but it improves on that version in other areas, with a larger, more practical boot and an even more affordable price tag given the equipment and space on offer. With stronger tech than ever from Citroen, plus a unique design that doesn’t compromise usability, the C5 X is a solid family car for those who’ve decided that they definitely don’t want an SUV.
We’ve already tested Citroen’s big C5 X in the UK in plug-in hybrid form, and we very much liked the blend of space, efficiency, comfort and value it offered. And this cheaper, pure petrol version looks like it could serve up more of the latter.
It’s powered by a 128bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo unit, which doesn’t sound like all that much when you realise it has to drive a large family hatch-cum-estate. However, with 230Nm of torque and mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s smooth-shifting but not the fastest, there’s an acceptable level of performance for such a big machine.
Officially, the 0-62mph sprint takes 10.4 seconds, but in reality that’s not at all how you drive the C5 X to extract the best from it. It much prefers a laid-back approach, using the low-down torque and moving along with a sense of serenity that you don’t quite get in rival cars, such as a Skoda Superb. Some of this comes from the engine, which is relatively refined and only gets raucous when you rev it hard, but much of it comes from the chassis set-up and the ride.
The petrol-powered C5 X doesn’t get the same active suspension set-up as plug-in models, which scans the road ahead and adjusts the dampers accordingly to account for any lumps or bumps. Instead, this PureTech model only features the firm’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension set-up, which uses clever tech to smooth out the dampers’ reactions to inputs and cushion the blow more effectively.
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It isn’t quite as smooth or as plush, but that’s to be expected. Yet it still does a solid job of balancing ride comfort and refinement with respectable handling.
Around town at low speed, depressions or ridges in the road are noticeable, but it’s still far from uncomfortable, the dampers doing their best to smooth out the surface. At higher speed the C5 X’s chassis offers a nice degree of float to its ride and feels in keeping with the plug-in hybrid; both offer a consistent approach in their set-ups.
The raised ride height that gives the C5 X its jacked-up estate look gives a bit more suspension travel, too, but the petrol car gets more unsettled by patchy roads in corners. It never really impacts the car’s stability, though, so it still feels secure.
This gives it a premium feel, which is backed up by the materials inside. The new 12-inch touchscreen is a slicker system than previous efforts from Citroen, and it’s joined by a seven-inch digital dash. There’s leather, LED ambient lighting and some nice metal trim parts that give an upmarket look – plus physical climate controls, which are so much easier to use than a purely screen-based set-up.
Yet the C5 X’s price tag doesn’t reflect these premium touches. It’s not going to rival an Audi or a BMW, but it shows the brand is on a push when it comes to quality. Priced from £29,290 for this PureTech 130 automatic model in mid-spec Shine trim, it still offers plenty of affordability.
Shine models get loads of kit, including wireless phone charging and the latest connectivity tech, sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, plenty of advanced driver-assistance and safety systems, plus an eight-speaker stereo and multiple USB ports to keep passengers’ gadgets charged. There’s also no scrimping when it comes to space, because the C5 X feels roomy in the rear, and the front of the cabin delivers a good amount of storage, with plenty of versatile oddment trays and bins.
Where the petrol car excels over its plug-in sibling is boot space, because there are 545 litres on offer, compared with 485 in its battery-assisted sibling. This is a healthy extra amount, plus handy levers in the boot fold the rear seats down to reveal a maximum of 1,640 litres here, meaning the C5 X delivers on many fronts.
Roof bars have been an essential part of motoring for generations, but they are now more popular than ever. Using the top of your car to carry stuff makes perfect sense, whether you have bars to hold sports equipment such as bikes and kayaks, strap on planks for trips from the DIY store, or simply use them to expand the luggage capacity of your car when heading off on holiday.
With so many flights cancelled, new-car deliveries delayed and vehicle rental costs spiralling, more of us than ever will be taking a look at the family car and wondering if it will be able to double up as a van or luggage lugger with the help of some bars.
Deciding on the right pair for you will depend on your budget and what you plan to load them with, but you’ll also need to ensure they are going to fit well and be easy to use. So which of our seven will be loads better than the rest?
How we tested them
For modern cars, there are generally two types of roof bar. The first is designed to clamp on to existing rails that run lengthways above the doors and are usually found on estate and SUV-type vehicles.
The alternatives are more complex because they have to mount on to the roof without rails, and generally clamp around the door shuts, or screw into fixtures on the frame of the car. For this year’s test, we chose the latter type, fitting them to a 2017 Nissan Qashqai.
With the bars installed, we checked for wind noise at motorway speeds. We also awarded points for ease of removal, low weight and any built-in security features. Finally, we checked prices online to judge the value. All seven have a maximum load of 75kg.
Verdict
While the Thule bars are certainly the best in this test on almost every level, we can’t recommend spending £241.95 on them unless you use bars every day. For less than half the price, the Cruz Airo Ts do most things just as well. At the top, the Summits narrowly take the win from the Cruz Optiplus STs because they are more aerodynamic, marginally lighter, and easier to fit.
Summit SUP-084
Cruz 130 Optiplus ST
Cruz Airo T
Reviews
Summit SUP-084
It’s not often that one of the cheapest products wins a test. But for anyone who only needs roof bars for occasional use, we see little need to spend twice as much – or more – for a premium product.
The Summit’s advantages over the Cruz bars are slight, but enough to send them to the top of the table. They’re rounded to boost aerodynamic efficiency and cut noise, plus they’re lighter and easier to fit. The only downside is that the security locks are a pricey £20 extra, and if you add them, the Summit ends up costing more than the rival Cruz bars.
The winners of our last test are still great, but they are just pipped to the post by the Summit items here. The Cruz’s car-specific fitting kit is easy to use and held snuggly to the Qashqai’s roof. The square profile of the bars isn’t as wind-cheating or attractive as the aero products, but the increase in wind noise is negligible, even at motorway speeds.
Like the Summit bars, the Cruz products don’t look premium, but the cost saving (locks apart) is only 4p. Keyed locks are a very reasonable £10 extra too – that could be enough to make the security-conscious prefer them to the winning Summits.
Aluminium aero bars like these Cruz items have several advantages over the steel beams used in the cheaper products, but you have to pay extra for them. Besides being more aerodynamic and better-looking, they also all have a T-channel, which allows you to simply slide in T-Track accessories such as bike racks, ski carriers and even some roof boxes.
This is certainly convenient, but if you don’t need this feature, then the extra cost is hard to justify. If you do want T-Track-compatible bars, though, then the Cruz Airo Ts are the best value without having too many compromises. They are quiet on the move and look reasonably smart, too.
The aluminium aero bars from Summit use the same easy-to-fit foot pack and adaptors as our Best Buy, but look smarter and have the more adaptable T-Track system to make fitting accessories easier. They are also marginally easier to assemble than the Cruz bars, and fractionally lighter too, but that’s not enough to make them worth the extra £15.
If you want to protect your accessories from theft, you’ll also need to fit keyed locks, which makes the cost difference even greater, because they add an extra £20 to the Summits, and just £10 to the Cruz.
We really love the way the Thule bars look and work – once you are past the initially fiddly assembly. They feel absolutely rock solid on the roof and are almost silent, even at speed.
Unlike the other aero bars, the Evo’s wind-proofing strips self seal, allowing you to swap between a bike rack in summer and ski carrier in winter without needing to cut new seals. But we just can’t get over the cost, which has risen by more than 20 per cent since our last test. That’s difficult to justify unless you use these bars all year round.
For many motorists, Halfords will be the first port of call for roof bars, and such customers might need a dose of smelling salts when they see the price of the Thule offerings. Halfords’ Advanced range is perhaps a little more palatable, because the package for our Qashqai costs a useful £75 less, yet has a similar high-quality feel.
The Aeros also have a fitting system that is very similar to the Thule’s, but the bars are neither as attractive nor as aerodynamic and don’t come with locks. It’s difficult to recommend them over the cheaper aero bars.
The Modula bars have locks as standard, which makes them seem decent value, even next to the Cruz Airo Ts. They look good too, and have the T-Track, so fitting accessories is easy.
But that’s pretty much where the good news ends. The fittings for our Qashqai were low in quality and hard to use, and bolts are left exposed on the inside of the foot pack. Besides looking scruffy, it means the wind whistles around them at speed and makes them noisier than the square-barred Cruz. The firm tells us there are some newly designed bars on the way soon – hopefully these will fix the Modula’s shortcomings.
The EQE feels like a logical all-electric counterpart to Mercedes’ E-Class saloon. The genuinely impressive range is the EQE’s trump card, which is good, because charging rates could be faster. However, it offers enough performance, a mostly comfortable ride, sound refinement and super technology, which means the EQE is a pricey but appealing premium EV.
Not long ago, if you wanted a premium electric saloon, the Tesla Model S was your only option. However, Tesla doesn’t currently sell its executive car in the UK, while its rivals have caught up – and this Mercedes EQE is an appealing all-rounder.
It’s based on the firm’s EVA platform, which also underpins the larger EQS, and this EQE features a 90kWh battery slotted within its still-considerable wheelbase. The EQE offers up to 394 miles of range, with this EQE 350+ model in AMG Line Premium Plus trim serving up a claimed 356 miles.
Our car showed a predicted 327 miles at just under 100 per cent charge, and by 50 per cent capacity, it was still on track for more than 300 miles from a full charge, which is an impressive showing.
Standard 170kW charging means it’s down on rivals such as the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT – not to mention Tesla – but a 10-80 per cent top-up will take 32 minutes, which isn’t too much of a hurdle.
The EQE’s straight-line performance isn’t Tesla-fast or what we’re used to from the sharpest electric saloons. But it still has 565Nm of torque, while its ICE E 220 d counterpart only offers 440Nm, so there’s more than enough mid-speed flexibility, and powertrain refinement is in a different league in the EQE. It’s very quiet on the move.
Officially, the 0-62mph sprint takes 6.4 seconds and the Mercedes is more than quick enough for pretty much any day-to-day situation. It does feel heavy, but the zip from the single rear-mounted motor allows you to use the performance in bursts whenever you need it.
The EQE’s high 2,355kg kerbweight means it’s not a driver’s car, though. On country roads, the chassis struggles to contain more aggressive ruptures and ridges in the tarmac, and the car feels weighty and big. The feeling is made worse by the swooping bonnet, which is invisible from the driver’s seat and means it can be hard to get an idea for where the nose is when you’re manoeuvring.
On smoother surfaces the sometimes soft-feeling air-sprung set-up allows a lovely level of float, so the EQE delivers a relatively soothing ride and supreme refinement on the motorway, for example.
It’s best to play to the EQE’s strengths, keep the pace leisurely and enjoy the qualities it can deliver on this front.
The adjustable regenerative braking helps here, too. There are four modes – off, low, high and intelligent – with ‘high’ allowing one-pedal driving.
The retardation is strong and intuitive, with the ‘intelligent’ setting adapting to road conditions to the point that you almost don’t notice it happening. However, the brake pedal moves on its own as the system works, so it can sometimes feel a little odd when you apply the brakes, with a small step as the systems work together.
The EQE has loads of tech and the rest is integrated well. The 55.5-inch full-width Hyperscreen option wasn’t fitted to our car. The standard 12.8-inch set-up is similar to what’s in the S-Class and is solid, with strong connectivity (wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus lots of info on charging points etc), great graphics and super-fast responses. It’s one of the best and simplest systems on sale and is joined by a super-clear digital driver display.
However, because the Hyperscreen spans the full width of the dash, our set-up leaves a large slab of plain material in front of the passenger. The quality is disappointing; there are some harder surfaces and our car had one or two rattles, but the alternative fabrics and trims feel premium, which is just as well given the EQE’s price.
The 350+ line-up starts from £76,450, with our AMG Line Premium Plus car coming in at £88,450. Along with this trim’s sportier styling (including 21-inch wheels), a head-up display, 360-degree camera, keyless go, heated seats, Mercedes’ Digital Light LED headlights, wireless phone charging, lots of driver-assistance tech and augmented reality sat-nav are all included.
There’s plenty of space inside, with lots of legroom and sound headroom in the rear, thanks to the almost bucket-style sculpted rear seats; the 430-litre boot could be bigger though, even if it’s a good shape.
Regardless of the size, performance or budget, lopping the roof off a vehicle makes driving fun; you get more fresh air, more sun – maybe too much, in recent days – and feel closer to the scenery breezing by.
But drop-tops carry compromises for the serious performance car driver. The reduction in structural integrity that goes hand in hand with removing a solid roof means that strengthening – and therefore more weight – needs to be applied elsewhere. Weight and wobbliness are two enemies of fast cars.
Yet the best engineers in the world try to mitigate both, and to see just how successful they can be, we’ve gathered together two of the fastest open-top sports cars around. The latest BMW M4 Coupé has proven to be both utterly thrilling to drive and incredibly quick, so how does this open-top model compare?
To find out, we’ve pitted it against the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. The model we have here is in GTS form that, full-on GT3 aside, is the finest driver’s car in the 911 range, at least in Coupé form.
BMW M4 Convertible
Model:
BMW M4 Competition Convertible
Price:
£85,870
Engine:
3.0-litre 6cyl twin-turbo, 503bhp
0-62mph:
3.7 seconds (with M Driver’s pack)
Test economy:
22.5mpg/4.9mpl
CO2:
233g/km
Annual road tax:
£520
The M4 Competition tested here comes with what BMW calls the Ultimate Pack. This £11,250 option adds a long list of extras, including laser headlights, a carbon-fibre exterior styling pack, carbon-fibre sports seats and a wind deflector.
Factor in the M Driver’s Pack (£2,095), which increases the limited top speed from 155mph to 180mph, plus the Aventurine Red paint (£1,100) and the model we’re driving costs £100,315.
Design & engineering
Under the skin, the BMW M4 Convertible has the same staggering technical stats as the regular Coupé version. A 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine is boosted by a pair of turbochargers, which feature electronically controlled wastegates to boost responsiveness.
Two cooling systems – one for the intercooler, and one for the engine and turbos – keep things in check under hard driving, while the exhaust system features fully adjustable flaps that can alter the volume based on the driving mode. The result is 503bhp, 650Nm of torque and a 7,200rpm rev limit.
Unlike the M4 Coupé and mechanically similar M3 saloon, the Convertible is only available with xDrive four-wheel drive. While it’s a rear-biased system by default, it is possible to engage a rear-wheel-drive-only mode, but only if you disable the stability control set-up completely.
While losing the roof might traditionally bring some compromises to torsional stiffness, BMW hasn’t felt the need to do much to toughen up the underlying structure. The most notable addition is a package of extra torsion struts to the rear of the chassis. The Convertible also features the same additional bracing as the M4 Coupé over the standard 4 Series. This includes an aluminium panel to brace the front subframe against the reinforced sills, plus extra bracing further back.
While the M4’s predecessor had a retractable metal roof, the latest version has a folding canvas hood. The new system is 40 per cent lighter than before, and it can fully open or close within 18 seconds at speeds of up to 31mph.
Driving
On the move, there’s some evidence that BMW hasn’t taken too many steps to bolster the chassis. Across more challenging roads little shimmies can be felt through the structure when the roof is down. That feeling is more noticeable if you switch into one of the firmer M modes. Given that we find the Convertible’s ride much more forgiving in the standard setting, this isn’t too much of an issue.
The M4 remains a devastatingly quick point-to-point machine. Its engine is hugely effective, delivering a massive punch of acceleration at any revs and in any gear. While the Porsche’s flat-six motor offers a little more incentive to use all the revs, the speed on offer here is so impressive.
The BMW’s reserves of grip also feel incredibly high – even exceeding those of the Porsche – and the overall chassis balance is of a car that’s keen to point into turns, but without a hint of nervousness from the rear. The predominantly rear-driven balance lets you adjust the M4’s attitude through a corner with the reassurance that if and when the grip starts to falter, it does so very progressively.
Further increasing the feeling of agility is the steering; it’s very sharp, so the M4 feels far keener than its relatively high kerbweight would suggest. Much like in the Coupé, though, we’d prefer a little more feedback through the wheel. The same goes for the brakes, which are phenomenally powerful, but lack the feel of the 911’s set-up.
With the roof in place, the BMW is the more refined of the two. The canvas top is well insulated, to the point that it barely feels any louder than the M4 Coupé inside, making it an ideal long-distance companion. The Porsche is compromised by more pronounced road noise from its fat rear tyres.
Practicality
The M4 is the more practical car here, because its two back seats are genuinely usable. There’s plenty of space in the rear, even for adults, although it’s a little bit of a squeeze to get back there when the roof is up.
Boot space is excellent by both convertible and performance-car standards. At 385 litres, there’s room for a set of golf clubs or two suitcases, and the seats fold flat using some levers in the boot compartment itself. However, it’s worth noting that an open roof eats into that volume (but much less so than with the old M4’s metal folding roof), and it’s harder to load and remove items when it’s down.
Ownership
BMW provides a three-year, unlimited-mile warranty package with the M4. The Porsche comes with cover for the same duration, but with no mileage restriction. Although very few owners tend to average more than 20,000 miles per year in their 911, it still shows the confidence the brand has in its cars’ reliability. The same goes for the breakdown cover; Porsche offers a three-year deal to the BMW’s two years of cover.
Running costs
Fuel consumption won’t be a massive consideration with cars like these, but better economy does, of course, mean a greater distance between fill-ups. That’s a consideration when these are exactly the sort of vehicles that are ideal for continental cruises.
The Porsche was marginally the more frugal car; we managed 22.7mpg to the BMW’s 22.5mpg. Those figures included both enthusiastic and town driving, neither of which are great for fuel economy. The trip readouts showed comfortably more than 30mpg for both cars at steady motorway speeds. The M4 has a 59-litre tank to the Porsche’s 64 litres, which means respective ranges of 292 and 320 miles.
Tester’s notes: “The M4’s bucket seats give loads of support, but the lump in the middle of the seat squab, plus offset pedals, make it very hard to left-foot brake.”
Porsche 911 Cabriolet
Model:
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet
Price:
£126,719
Engine:
3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbo, 473bhp
0-62mph:
3.6 seconds
Test economy:
22.7mpg/5.0mpl
CO2:
248g/km
Annual road tax:
£520
There are variants further down the Porsche range that align more closely to the M4 on price, but the GTS is its nearest rival in terms of power and performance. It’s priced from £126,719.
Design & engineering
As one of the most driver-focused derivatives in the 911 line-up, it might be the model most at odds with the laid-back attitude that works with cabriolets so well. That hasn’t stopped the boffins at Stuttgart adding a little flair to the Carrera S package.
Subtle details on the outside include a satin-black lip spoiler at the front, plus tinted LED headlamps. The tail-lights are also in a finish that’s unique to the GTS. The satin-black wheels are staggered in size; the fronts measure 20 inches to 21 inches at the back.
Inside, there’s a suede-like microfibre material across the dash and on the seats. The driving position is fantastic; you sit lower than in the BMW, and the pedals are better aligned with the steering wheel. The build quality feels fantastic, and all of the key functions are ergonomically well placed.
Mechanically, the GTS features a host of upgrades, many of which are borrowed from the 911 Turbo. The braking system, with 408mm discs up front, and the suspension, which gets helper springs to increase control, are Turbo-derived, while the GTS sits 10mm lower than a Carrera S on the stiffened suspension. The adaptive dampers, roll bars and stability control systems are tuned specifically for the GTS.
The iconic rear-mounted flat-six engine produces 473bhp and 570Nm of torque. That’s 30bhp and 80Nm down on the BMW, but with the 911 weighing 1,615kg, its engine has considerably less mass to move around. The Porsche is available with rear and four-wheel drive, plus a manual or PDK automatic gearbox. The BMW is auto and four-wheel drive only.
Driving
If you’re keen for your circa-100 grand drop-top to be as much about low-speed posing as B-road blasts, then the BMW will be the better option. Below 20mph or so, the 911’s firm damping and limited suspension travel mean that a bump hitting one wheel will cause the whole body to move with it, resulting in quite a bouncy ride. As a driver, you can ignore this trait for the most part, but as a passenger it would start to get a little irritating.
Go quicker, however, and the firmness seems to evaporate. The 911 then begins to breathe with the road, shrugging off the worst undulations with superb body control, and a level of compliance that the M4 just can’t compete with. The result is that the Porsche feels more confidence-inspiring when you’re pushing, and a little more comfortable when you want to cover ground at a more relaxed rate.
Our car was fitted with rear-steering, a £1,592 extra. Unlike some systems of its type, it feels very natural and unobtrusive, adding an extra degree of agility in tighter turns while also endowing the 911 with even greater high-speed stability.
That iconic rear-engined layout has its own unique benefit, too, most notably traction. On a dry road and with warm Pirelli P Zero tyres (the BMW is on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres), the rear grip is phenomenal. You’d need to be very determined or very clumsy to initiate any sign of slip on a public road. It contributes to a searing 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds, 0.1 seconds less than the BMW, despite the Porsche’s 30bhp deficit and two fewer driven wheels.
The Porsche’s PDK auto gearbox is perfect. When you’re pushing, it responds instantaneously, yet still shifts more smoothly than the BMW’s eight-speed torque converter. At low speeds, its behaviour is immaculate, too; it’s genuinely happier to reverse- park than many auto-equipped superminis, all the more amazing when it’s dealing with a car capable of 192mph. At any speed, the engine is fantastic. It’s strong and keen at the low end, yet offers huge rewards when making the most of every rev.
Practicality
Of all the options on the 911’s lengthy list, we’d recommend the Front Axle Lift System above all others. For £1,709, it adds a hydraulic system that raises the front by 40mm at speeds up to about 22mph. It turns a car which will make you wince at the thought of speed bumps into something that can be used like any other vehicle.
That is, any other car without any back seats. The seats here are comically small, to the point where we’d question if they can be even called seats at all. You can fold the backrests down to give a level shelf behind the front seats, which translates into 163 litres of storage space. Combined with an extra 132 litres up front, overall storage is reasonable, if not quite as generous as the BMW’s.
The German brand also took top spot in our 2021 dealer survey, but didn’t appear this year. In contrast, BMW took 16th as a manufacturer and 15th for its dealers in our 2022 poll, just below average overall.
Running costs
It’s pretty clear from the figures that the Porsche 911 is the more expensive car in this test, but it’s also worth bearing in mind that it will also hold on to much more of its value if the time ever comes when you decide to sell.
The M4 Competition Convertible is predicted to retain 46.6 per cent of its original value after three years, at which point it’ll be worth just over 40 grand of its original £86,000 list price.
In contrast, if you put £125,000 or so down on a 911, it’ll be worth nearly £77,000 three years down the line, which is 60.5 per cent of its original value.
Tester’s notes: “If you want to make the most of the 911’s storage space, then Porsche offers a four-piece leather luggage set that’s yours for £4,110.”
Verdict
First place: Porsche 911 Cabriolet
While both remain utterly compelling performance cars even without a roof, the 911 is the marginally less compromised of the two models. Only the keenest driver will notice any difference between this and the Coupé version; next to the BMW, it’s more exciting to drive, and less windy with the roof down. Most of all, though, it just feels more special, which is what cars like these are all about.
Second place: BMW M4 Convertible
For some people, the M4 will get the nod over the Porsche for one clear reason: practicality. Usable back seats will be a deal-breaker for some, and the boot is larger, too. Desirable though it is, as an overall package the M4 still drops just behind the Porsche. As a driver’s car, its body control lacks the 911’s sophistication, while from a financial point of view, it’ll depreciate faster.
It might focus more on luxury than driver appeal, but chopping the roof from the Lexus LC 500 makes it all the better for appreciating that wonderful 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8. The sound alone is worth the £100,000 asking price.
If you’re willing to do without back seats, then why not go the whole hog and get an open-top supercar? The R8 is very easy to drive at low speeds, while its glorious V10 engine ranks among the all-time greats.
In its maturation into its eighth (992) generation, the Porsche 911 has grown. But that’s brought with it even more comfort and technology, which means the iconic sports car is now also a better GT, offering more technology and practicality than ever. As such, it continues to set a high bar is this segment.
However, it’s not at the expense of performance – as today’s Porsche 911 is also faster and more agile than its predecessor. It still offers the package’s unique rear-engined dynamics but with that comes a friendly side that makes the 992-generation an even more exploitable sports car.
Of course, the price has risen as a result of all this extra tech and ability, but the 911 is still a stunning piece of engineering. Together with improved efficiency, these changes on the 992 mean it offers even more of what the 911 is famed for: comfort, usability and performance.
About the Porsche 911
The 911 is the model that has come to define Porsche. After more than 50 years in production the car is now into its eighth generation, and while Porsche is ploughing ahead with its SUVs, with this 992 iteration of the car it’s not forgotten its lineage and what has made Porsche a great performance brand: in many ways the 911 is better than ever.
The core of the range is split into three main models – Carrera, Carrera S and Carrera 4S – each available in coupe or convertible Cabriolet form. There’s also the niche Targa 4 and Targa 4S, along with the extra performance of the GTS model and the extreme Turbo S and Turbo S Cabriolet, if you need even more power. There’s also the track-orientated GT3, which can be ordered with the Touring Package, so you can have all of the driving thrills with a few creature comforts included, while the heritage-inspired Sport Classic limited edition offers 542bhp, rear-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox for those wanting a more bespoke 911.
A short spell on Porsche’s online configurator shows just how customisable the car has become, with near-endless equipment packs and personalisation options. You can even specify exclusive PTS (paint to sample) paint.
The 911 has grown – it’s 20mm longer than its predecessor, although the wheelbase is the same length, while it’s also now 45mm wider at the front. There’s no narrow-body version like there used to be, so the two and four-wheel drive cars are all based on the same shell, which now boasts less steel and much more aluminium in its construction to help keep the weight increase relatively modest over the 991.2.
With prices ranging from around £90,000 to more than £214,000 (for the Sport Classic limited edition), it still occupies the same sector of the market though. So this sports car is going up against the Aston Martin Vantage, the Mercedes-AMG GT and the Audi R8, while higher-end Jaguar F-Type models will also be competing for sales.
