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Reviving the Hot Hatch: The Alpine A290 Blends Classic Charm with Electric Thrills
Alpine offers some old-fashioned charms in this otherwise high-tech, zero-emissions hatchback This is the Alpine A290, the sporty variant of the Renault 5, and it feels to us like the return of the hot hatchback.Maybe we’ve said that before, about the electric Abarth 500 or even the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, much larger, more expensive and powerful though that is.But sufficiently few are the approachable, hot, practical electric cars that it feels appropriate to mention it. Along with the A290, anyway, these strike me as the three EVs that talk to the enthusiast.There are two power options, 178bhp and 217bhp, but mechanically they’re identical, as compact, fun front-drive hot hatchbacks at less than 1500kg and, as we’ll see, more entertaining that probably anything similar on the market.
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Vauxhall Grandland Electric Unleashes Power with New AWD Variant
New range-topping SUV is the first electric Vauxhall to be offered with a dual-motor powertrain
The Vauxhall Grandland Electric has gained a dual-motor variant, making it the first electric car from the British brand to send power to all four corners.
Topping the line-up, the new SUV uses the same set-up as its Peugeot e-3008 and Peugeot e-5008 cousins.
This combines the standard Grandland Electric's front-mounted 210bhp motor with a 111bhp motor on the rear axle for total outputs of 321bhp and 375lb ft.
While this cuts the car's 0-62mph time by 2.9sec to 6.1sec, Vauxhall said the system is more about maximising grip and stability, especially when taking the Ford Explorer rival off road.
A new AWD mode has been added, which keeps the two motors on continuously and delivers maximum power.
In Normal mode, the front motor is primarily used, with the new rear motor engaged “depending on the driver’s demands”.
What’s more, the range-topping Grandland gets adaptive dampers as standard, which Vauxhall said is to help the car’s comfort levels when driven on different surfaces.
Energy is drawn from the same 73kWh battery as in the standard car. Here it offers up to 311 miles in its most economical FWD setting. Vauxhall hasn't confirmed a range for when both motors are engaged.
The dual-motor Grandland Electric gets a few design tweaks to make it more slippery and distinguish it from its siblings. For example, front and rear bumper inserts and new 20in aero wheel slightly reduce its drag coefficient.
Deliveries will begin in September. Pricing has yet to be announced, but it will be more expensive than the current range-topper, the £39,000 single-motor Ultimate.
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Polestar 3: Redefining Luxury and Sport in the Electric SUV Landscape
Polestar gets into proper luxury SUV territory while trying to stay sporty There’s an interesting circularity to the way premium car makers are now revisiting and reinventing their electric luxury SUVs. It’s six or seven years – or about a full model cycle – since the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-tron and Mercedes EQC first gave buyers premium-branded electric options for their next family-sized SUV. The fresh meat those same buyers are being offered today – the Porsche Macan Electric, the Audi Q6 E-tron, the refreshed BMW iX and the subject of this test – represent the way EV technology has matured over that period as much by their variety as by their generational leaps on performance, efficiency, range and charging speed.The all-new Polestar 3 illustrates how very adeptly. Based on a model platform shared with the much larger and taller Volvo EX90, it shows that common underpinnings can spawn very different products. This five-seater luxury SUV also occupies a notional Rubicon for Polestar because it’s the largest passenger car its maker will offer for the foreseeable future.If the firm can successfully demonstrate the sort of progressive driver appeal here that it claims as a defining characteristic of its brand, then, we can probably believe it when it says its cars will never be dull to drive.
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Land Rover Unveils 2026 Discovery Sport: Fresh Features and New Trims for Adventurous Families
Update to seven-seat SUV follows similar changes made by JLR to the Defender and Discovery ranges
Land Rover has updated the Discovery Sport again, following changes to the larger Discovery and the Defender.
The middle-rung Dynamic SE and range-topping Dynamic HSE trims have been replaced by new grades named Landmark and Metropolitan, while the entry-level S has become the Dynamic S.
There are also new option packages aimed at visits to the beach, road trips and snowy weather.
The Landmark is distinguished by a mountain-range logo on its treadplates and projected by its puddle lights. It brings kit including a sliding and reclining second row of seats, a panoramic glass roof and a 3D camera for manoeuvres in tight spaces.
The Metropolitan, identifiable by its silver front grille, builds on the Landmark's specification with the addition of 14-way adjustable heated and cooled seats, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system and 20in alloy wheels.
The Dynamic S meanwhile receives visual tweaks including a gloss-black finish for the wheel arches, lower body siding and front grille.
The powertrain line-up remains the same as before: mild-hybrid four-cylinder diesel engines with outputs of 160bhp and 201bhp; and a petrol-engined plug-in hybrid with 265bhp and 36 miles of electric-only range.
Prices start at £45,440 for the Dynamic S with the lesser diesel engine and reach £59,545 for the Metropolitan PHEV.
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