Latest news with #hybridcar
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CNA
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
Money Talks - Breaking down the costs of owning an electric vehicle in Singapore
Money Talks Play With Singapore phasing out the sale of new internal combustion engine car and taxi registrations by 2030, many Singaporeans are contemplating switching to an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid car. But what are the costs involved? In this episode of Money Talks, Julian Kho from Sgcarmart gives a breakdown of the real costs and benefits involved – from maintenance fees to charging costs and road tax.
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid review: forget electric, this is the acme of the modern small car
When you think of utility motoring, which cars come to mind? A battered Land Rover Series 1? A Dacia Logan of indeterminate age with peeling paintwork, somewhere on the road to Marrakech? Or perhaps an original Fiat Panda from the Eighties in the Alps or Appenines, all bare-metal interior and Giorgetto Giugiaro's folded-paper lines gently rusting? Certainly, like the original Renault 4 or Citroen 2CV from France, the first Panda from Fiat, a previously undisputed master of the small car, has a utilitarian appeal. Sandra Howard, novelist and wife of former prime minister Michael, drove a battered first-generation Panda 4x4 for years until it was terminally vandalised at a railway station. Italy is the last redoubt for these extraordinarily basic but fun and frugal models, but this January it extended the idea and name on a larger Grande Panda, launched initially as a politically correct battery-electric model priced at £21,035. My verdict was that it was a pleasant enough family car, but it didn't dispel nagging doubts about a sub-200-mile range and ownership costs for the perhaps impecunious families being targeted. The idea that the petrol-hybrid version would be a more practical prospect for more people, more of the time, took root. Well, I finally got my hands on the petrol hybrid; as utility goes, the new Grande Panda Pop at £18,035 is right up there. Competitors include the Dacia Duster and Sandero, the related Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera, along with Renault's Clio. There will be an even cheaper pure internal combustion-engined version with a six-speed manual gearbox, although it hasn't been confirmed for the UK yet, while a 4x4 concept has been shown recently. A new Panda – but the old one continues Of course, utility motoring is a very different prospect to what it was in the Eighties. The bare minimum these days, even in the most basic Panda, is air-conditioning, a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen, rear parking sensors, adjustable steering and a plethora of annoying Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). If you are determined on alloy wheels, roof rails, skid plates and so on, go for the middling £19,035 Icon version. The top-spec La Prima costs £21,035 and has heated front seats, 17-inch wheels, parking sensors at both ends and a rear-view camera. For those having an attack of the vapours, the pre-existing Panda isn't going anywhere. As an Italian friend put it: 'They haven't made the streets in Florence any wider…'. That current Panda (also known as Pandina), the tiny, 3.68m-long four-door A-class car, is manufactured in the old Alfa Romeo plant at Pomigliano d'Arco in Italy. It continues for now at least. This new Grande Panda, by contrast, is built in Serbia at the Stellantis plant at Kragujevac, although it will also be made in Algeria and Brazil. It's based on the Stellantis low-cost Smart Car 199 platform originally developed with help of Jaguar Land Rover's owner Tata – Vauxhall's new Frontera and Citroën's C3 share the underpinnings. If this all sounds vaguely familiar, then think of Renault's Dacia brand, which is targeted at a similarly utilitarian market and built in Romania and Morocco. Under the skin The Grande Panda is 3,999mm long, 1,763mm wide (2,017mm with mirrors) and 1,586mm high with a 412mm ground clearance for when grass is growing up the centre of the road. The boot volume is 412 litres (51 litres larger than the electric version) with the rear seats up and a total of 1,366 litres with them folded. The resulting load bed is distinctly stepped, so there's no sliding in that Billy bookcase without help. This, the cheapest version of the Grande Panda, has 16-inch steel wheels, slows with all-round disc brakes and has MacPherson-strut front suspension and a twist-beam set-up at the rear. It weighs 1,315kg. The T-Gen3 drivetrain is a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine and a 28bhp electric motor and 48V battery, which can drive the car on its own for short periods at under 18mph. With the battery lending a hand, total power is 109bhp and torque is 107lb ft, driving the front wheels via a six-speed, twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox. The top speed is 100mph and 0-62mph is despatched in 10sec. The Pop version emits less CO2 than the fancier Icon or La Prima versions, although its 113 instead of 115g/km still means a first-year VED of £440. Fuel consumption is quoted at 56.5mpg; romping around the hilly roads surrounding Turin, I achieved 48mpg. Inside job While the inclusion of bamboo fibres in the facia upholstery for the top model is a jokey addition (bamboo being a Panda's favourite food), the Pop has its own stripped-out charm. Like the original Panda, the main functions and switches are grouped in a curious oval-shape binnacle which includes the main touchscreen. If it seems familiar that's because it echoes the shape of the test track on top of the famous Lingotto factory in Turin, star of The Italian Job (all together now: 'Now, as you go round look for that bloody exit, we can't go round here all day…'). Similarly, the PXL pixel headlights recall the windows of the famous multi-storey car factory and the stamped-out swaging of 'Panda' and 'Fiat' in the bodywork are reminiscent of the original Eighties Panda. While it could be fussy and contrived and in places it verges so, there's a sense of history and pride in these additions, without being overtly retro. The seats seem quite thinly upholstered, but as I discovered they are comfortable for long periods. In the back the rear bench accommodates a couple of 6ft adults, who get a bit more leg room than in the electric version. The touchscreen works well enough, with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although switching between the car's infotainment and phone services can be tricky. On the road The electric motor takes the strain of pulling away and unless you are driving flat-out the experience is smooth and refined. The warbling three-cylinder petrol engine chimes in quickly and again it's reasonably quiet and has decent pulling power. The six-speed gearbox changes smoothly and the electric motor fills in where the engine is lacking, so this is an easy car to drive. Push harder, though and the drivetrain gets quite noisy and unnecessary, but for urban and suburban uses the hybrid drivetrain works well and efficiently. Unlike the Citroën C3 with its soft ride quality, thanks to hydraulic bump stops in the suspension, the Grande Panda has conventional damping so although the ride quality is busy, there's a directness and simplicity about the way it tackles the streets of Turin. Yes, it will clatter over train tracks, potholes and bumps, but it isn't uncomfortable. The steering has good weighting and the body control is positive and firm so it doesn't roll like a ship in a gale. There's a fair bit of wind noise from the square-set body, but on a motorway it settles down and covers ground quickly and efficiently. And if this Panda hybrid isn't the last word in dynamic ability, it moves along pretty well and is quite fun to drive con allegro. The brakes are strong, with a progressive pedal that delivers a decent initial bite at the top of its travel. The Telegraph verdict Engineering cheap and profitable small cars is a lot harder than it looks, as we're seeing with some of the lacklustre Chinese fare that is making its way onto our streets. Fiat is a past master of the art and, in many senses, the Grande Panda shows the rest of the industry how to do it. It is attractive (although highly sensitive to colour) being reminiscent rather than retro, along with being fun to drive while offering the minimum levels of equipment and space the market demands. The Pop version is probably the most appealing at the moment, although the mooted 4x4 version could well be a surprise hit. A return to utility? Not really, but back to basics, certainly. The facts On test: Fiat Grande Panda hybrid Pop Body style: Five-door B-segment crossover On sale: Summer How much? £18,035 How fast? 100mph, 0-62mph in 10sec How economical? 56.5mpg (WLTP Combined), 48mpg on test Engine & gearbox: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, front-wheel drive Electric powertrain: AC permanent magnet synchronous motor with 0.9kWh battery (gross), no external charging capability Electric-only range: 0.6 miles Maximum power/torque: 109bhp/107lb ft CO2 emissions: 113g/km (WLTP Combined) VED: £440 first year, then £195 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited mileage The rivals Citroën C3, from £18,305 Based on the same platform and drivetrains as the Grande Panda, the C3 targets space and ride quality and is a soft but relaxing drive. There's also the larger Aircross version. Dacia Duster, from £19,380 Prices go over £20,000 quickly as you travel up the trim levels, but the entry-level Duster Essential is surprisingly good to drive for a stripped-bare model. It's also attractive.
The Verge
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Verge
Chevy's electrified ZR1X is the quickest Corvette ever.
We're barely recovered from meeting the 2025 Corvette ZR1, and now Chevrolet has announced a regenerative hybrid variant (no plugging in here), dubbed the ZR1X. This 2026 Corvette model takes the E-Ray's EV modes and all wheel drive setup, turns up the horsepower, and puts it in a package with the ZR1's LT7 V8, along with some other tweaks for maximizing performance on the road or the track. This 'true American hypercar' with 1,250 horsepower will go from zero to 60 mph in under two seconds, GM estimates. No price announced yet.
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Major car brand's smallest motor bought by 300,000 drivers unveiled with new look… & will be hybrid-only
A MAJOR car brand has unveiled a new look for its smallest motor due to be rolled-out later this year. The tiny Toyota Aygo X has received a mid-life update, with its mini 1.0L petrol engine being swapped out for a hybrid powertrain, borrowed from its big brother, the Yaris. 4 4 When it arrives in the UK later this year, it will be the smallest entirely hybrid car on sale in the country. Toyota will also discontinue its manual gearbox petrol version, making the Aygo X hybrid-only. The Japanese carmaker has found a great deal of popularity with its "A-segment" city car, selling nearly 300,000 since they were introduced in 2022. Now, its refreshed Aygo X could attract even more buyers with its 114bhp 1.5L petrol-electric hybrid setup - borrowed from the larger and more expensive Yaris and Yaris Cross. However, the design has been adapted from these other motors, due to the Aygo's tight dimnesions. For example, while battery cells are usually found parallel in the Yaris, the Aygo X will have them placed as two stacks alongside each other underneath the rear seats. The auxiliary battery will also be moved under the boot storage in order to not cramp the space inside the tiny motor. In terms of power, this new hybrid setup churns out a respectable 114bhp, far more than the 71bhp seen in the current Aygo. Toyota says this means the Aygo X will be able to go from 0-62mph in "less than 10 seconds". The new motor is also expected to boast fuel economy figures beyond 70mpg, reports Car Magazine. Vauxhall Mokka hybrid is a smarter, greener & better equipped version of old motor… but small detail really lets it down On top of this all, Toyota says the new Aygo X will have CO2 emissions of just 86g/km, the lowest of any car that does not need to be plugged in. The iconic Japanese carmaker has also claimed to have made the Aygo quieter and more comfortable through increased noise insulation, especially on the top-spec model - which will come with thicker glass. On its exterior, the updated Aygo X boasts new sharp LED headlights as well as a redesigned front bumper. The motor stretches 76mm longer than its predecessor, primarily to accommodate the larger hybrid powertrain. World's largest car maker hatching plans to invest £40 million in a new assembly line in UK The world's largest car maker is planning to invest a whopping £40million for a new assembly line in the UK. The Toyota plant at Burnaston could be in line for a major investment, as the company weighs moving production for the US market from Japan to Derbyshire. The car maker plans to invest around £41 million to set up a new production line dedicated to making GR Corollas, according to Reuters. Toyota has denied that Trump tariffs are behind the potential shift, despite taxes on Britain being 10 per cent compared to Japan's 25 per cent. In light of the potential move, Japanese automaker Toyota revealed that new cars could be added to the European market. Currently, the GR Corolla is only available in Japan and is exported to North America and select other markets. Burnaston plant currently produces the Corolla hatchback and estate for the UK and European markets, but production rates could significantly improve with the proposed investment. A new production line could be operational within 12 months, with reports suggesting that Japanese engineers may temporarily relocate to Derbyshire to assist with the transition. On top of a new bonnet, there is also an option to have a retractable canvas roof. If you're feeling like splashing out some more cash, there's also a newly introduced GR Sport trim level for the Aygo X, said to be "inspired by Toyota's motorsport teams". In the cabin, there aren't many changes to come with the update - although a new seven-inch digital instrument cluster has been added. There is also expected to be a new wireless smartphone charger for higher-spec cars. Prices and specifications have yet to be fully announced for the Aygo X, although experts have said to expect a "healthy increase" on top of the car's current starting price of £16,845.
Car and Driver
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
A McLaren Artura Spider Is Its Own Spring Break Plan
My kids' spring break is timed to coincide with Easter. This means that the dates vary wildly from year to year, because so does Easter (it's the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, if you need a refresher on your moon-based holidays). This year, Easter was late—mid-April—which is about the time you might expect some decent weather in North Carolina, where we live. And so I made a bold decision for our spring break plans, which is that there would be no spring break plans. Well, except for one: drive the McLaren Artura Spider. Get your hands on an Artura, and the plans make themselves. A school pickup becomes an event that's Snapchatted across the county. A trip to the grocery store is an epic journey. And a drive to the beach might lead to sublime sensory immersion the likes of which prompted Coleridge to write Kubla Khan, but this time without the opium. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver The Artura is McLaren's hybrid V-6 model, and it spits out a total of 690 horsepower via a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor. Cleverness abounds: The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission has no reverse gear, with that job handled by the electric motor spinning backward. The engine is mounted so low, it sits beneath the tops of the wheels. You can get it with Pirelli Cyber tires that report their temperatures and take note when you're driving faster than 167 mph, so you can adjust pressures accordingly. The Artura is also arguably the most beautiful contemporary McLaren, with its graceful buttresses and one-piece rear clamshell, and that's saying something. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver That's a pretty car. With the weather forecast looking decent, we decided to head for the coast, which means a slog across the flatlands of Route 74. Typically that's a boring stretch of road, but not long into the drive, a battle erupted in the skies above, sunshine and thunderstorms fighting for the upper hand and spraying rainbows down across the farmland. The view ahead, swept clear by the McLaren's single wiper blade, was like the world turned into a Lucky Charms box. Through the rearview mirror, I watched geysers of spray hang in the sunshine and burst into yet more rainbows. The Ventura Orange of the car played its own part in this explosion of color, and a normally dreary drive turned into, dare I say, a profound experience. Beach Days Beach towns can be automotively haughty. A car like an Artura would blend with the scenery in Malibu, and Cape Cod is the land of the six-figure old-school Jeep Wagoneer. Holden Beach, North Carolina, isn't like that. The general store sells bait, the best restaurants are open to the elements, and a street-legal side-by-side is the preferred vehicular flex. It's apparent that the people who might have Artura money—this car wore a window sticker of $325,258—choose to deploy their financial resources on boats. You don't see cars like this. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver So it wasn't a huge surprise when I got a knock on the door and it was about the Artura. A high-school freshman named Oliver had a camera in hand and wanted to know if it was okay to take photos of the car. I told him to go for it, of course, because that's exactly what I would have done at his age if I stumbled across a McLaren in my neighborhood. After he got his shots I gave him a ride home, which was only two blocks away down a 35-mph road, but at least now he can say he rode in a McLaren. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver Over the next few days, I made excuses to drive the Artura—I felt it was my responsibility to the general public. Grocery runs, bait procurement, and pizza pickup were all dispatched in style. One day I was big-upped at the hardware store by a V-12 Lincoln Zephyr wearing a hand-written For Sale sign taped to the window: respect. I should note that all of these errands were accomplished with the Artura in Sport mode, not because I was doing anything particularly sporty, but because Sport mode forces the 120-degree V-6 to fire up, and your audience demands to hear it. This car had the $5100 sports exhaust system, which issues a properly exotic caterwaul that harmonizes with the rush of the turbos as you approach the 7500-rpm horsepower peak. The Artura will keep the engine running if you want to charge the battery (it's EPA rated at 11 miles of electric range), with one exception: the "engine conditioning" wait period immediately after you start the car. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver Upstaged by a V-12 at the hardware store. You can climb into the Artura and start driving immediately, but the engine won't fire up until it's done pre-warming the catalysts, which only takes about seven seconds but can sometimes seem like an eternity. Like, for instance, when I was leaving the driveway and a mom and two little boys stopped in their tracks on the sidewalk to watch the McLaren depart, and I whirred away with a 94-hp electric hum. Hopefully they kept looking long enough to hear the V-6 bark to life—this car makes sounds, I promise. Now, as much as I wanted to use the Artura for every chore possible, we're a family of four, and not every task is McLaren-appropriate. Like, for instance, buying some outdoor furniture. That's a truck trip, so the McLaren stayed parked—out of sight but not, evidently, out of mind, because when we got home we realized that the furniture that struck our fancy was almost the same shade of orange as the Artura. It probably doesn't require much psychoanalysis to deduce what happened there. Someday, when the kids ask why we have orange rocking chairs, I'll say, "Remember that Artura Spider?" Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver No idea why the orange furniture seemed appealing. The morning the Artura was to be picked up, I felt a keen sense of impending loss, so I went for a two-hour morning drive with my younger son, Finn. We did a few launch-control starts out in the boonies, visited a gas station on the far end of a fun, curvy road, and stopped by a place called Fort Apache that really deserves its own story. Fort Apache's proprietor, Dale, wasn't around, but we grabbed a few photos in front of the Crackhead Express, a city bus that used to have a huge crack pipe on the roof. At some point, Dale replaced that with a shark eating a water-skier, as one does, and added rows of toilets all around the vicinity. This is why you stop by Fort Apache now and then—you've got to keep up with the happenings. Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver Once the Artura was cruelly wrenched from my clutches, I was forced to contemplate my return to life without 690 horsepower and flying buttresses. And in ginning up a pep talk for myself, I think I actually stumbled upon a truth that should have been obvious: All of these pointless little fun trips that I took in the McLaren would also have been fun in my Daihatsu Rocky, or our Gladiator. Maybe not so much in the Pacifica, but you get the idea. You don't need a $325,000 McLaren convertible to enjoy an aimless drive. But it sure helps. Ezra Dyer Senior Editor Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
