Rising car costs deal motability £565m blow

THE X5 laid a lot of the groundwork for the modern SUV when it launched in 1999. More than 25 years later we still think it’s one of the strongest models in BMW’s line-up. With the next-generation Neu

PERFORMANCE: This is the manufacturer’s claimed acceleration time for a car, and is measured from 0-60mph or 0-62mph (0-100km/h), in seconds. ECONOMY/EMISSIONS/RANGE: Combined WLTP economy in miles pe

The cars, bikes, scooters and battery-powered transport that is reinventing the need for speed

UPMARKET estate cars have always been popular. In recent years they have become the go-to alternative to the SUV, often delivering more usable space, as well as a more sophisticated and sporty drive.

THERE’S been a Estate version of the C-Class ever since the model arrived to replace the 190E in 1993, and Mercedes is on to its fifth generation, known internally as the W206, which arrived in 2021.

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To ascertain if this upmarket compact SUV can still hold its own in the face of fresher competition If there was ever an era-defining car for a marque, the Evoque is the ultimate