Fuel for thought

THE COOPER S WAS A SOGGY effort and this isn’t any better. You can forgive a hot hatch appalling ride but when it’s on top of a transmission that’s hard to gel with, an uninspiring soundtrack and impr

PLUG-in hybrid cars, depending on who you believe, are either a wasteful technological dead-end or a sensible compromise and valuable stepping stone to pure-electric vehicles. The truth, as ever, is m

ESSENTIALS Volkswagen Golf GTE Price: £40,140 Powertrain: 1.5 4cyl plug-in hybrid, 268bhp 0-62mph: 6.6 seconds WLTP efficiency: 196mpg Official EV range: 81 miles Annual VED: £620 Toyota Prius Excel P

As the fortunes of their opposite numbers from the Fast East have risen, European volume car makers have had it tough. While consolidation of ownership has given some a lifeline, others have simply fo

Engineers don’t like plug-in hybrids. It’s the ‘two engines rather than one’ factor, and all that extra associated ballast. Marketing types have always liked them, though – dare I say, because they un

THE 2025 Auto Express New Car Awards are upon us, and we’re struggling to remember a year that proved to be so tough at the top. It’s a reflection of just how well so many car manufacturers – both new