What looks like a screen grab from Sin City is in fact our first official glimpse of the new Jaguar crossover. The jacked-up, coupe-like CX-17 is one of two new models on the way from Gaydon, the other being the ‘X760’-codenamed 3-series rivalling sports saloon.

Argh, not another teaser picture…

We don’t like them any more than you do, but in this case we’ll allow the Jaguar through the net. It is, after all, one of 2013’s most hotly anticipated designs, and a complete break with tradition for Sir William Lyons’ iconic leaping cat brand.

Looks like a mix of F-type and XF Sportbrake from here, no?

The slim, horizontal rear lights are clearly a carryover F-type feature, wrapping around the rear flank and slicing down the car’s rear quarter. The rake of that rear pillar does ape CAR’s own Jaguar XF Sportbrake estate long termer, but the lack of defined shutlines in the structure means it’s unlikely we’ll see a repeat of the blacked-out pillar feature that characterises the Sportbrake and the XJ limousine.
Defined creases mark out the crossover’s aluminium flanks – dare we say it looks like a properly executed version of the Bentley EXP 9 F’s profile? With the design roll Jaguar is on at the moment thanks to Ian Callum’s XJ, Sportbrake and F-type, it’s odds-on the Jaguar crossover will be a real looker.

Is it all-wheel drive – and what’s under the bonnet?

Sure is – all-wheel drive is already available on the XJ saloon, so it’s a given for the road-going CX-17. Rear-drive, like the new BMW X5, is likely for 'entry-level' models. It won’t be a dirt-destroying, mountain conquering off-roader – that’s the Range Rover’s job – but there will be a full suite of engines ranging from the miserly 2.2-litre diesel and V6 powerplants, while we have our fingers crossed for an X5M rival with Jaguar’s snarling V8. All are expected to be hooked up to a ZF nine-speed automatic transmission.
We’ll see more at the Frankfurt motor show next month, and while it’s officially a concept, it’s likely to hit showrooms sometime in 2014.

 

BMW has created the first high-performance version of its new X5 SUV: the X5 M50d. It’s a triple-turbocharged, six-cylinder diesel-powered model good for 42mpg, apparently.

Until the new V8 X5 M sends purist enthusiasts into a froth-mouthed frenzy, this circa-£65k leviathan is the most powerful, fastest X5 you can buy.

What’s the BMW X5 M50d’s engine spec?

Doing the business in the engine bay is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel boosted by three turbochargers. The blowers run in a sequential format, meaning you don’t get the benefit of all three unless you’re really pinning the M50d. At idle there’s a small turbocharger for low-lag, fast getaway pace, joined by a larger blower at 1500rpm. Keep your foot in and at 2700rpm, a flap opens to divert excess exhaust gas away from Turbo One and into a third turbo with variable blade geometry to reduce lag further.

Peak power outputs are the same as the old X5 M50d and still-on-sale X6 M50d: 376bhp, and 546lb ft from 2000-3000rpm. However, the new car shaves a 0.1sec from the 0-62mph sprint: it’ll reach the benchmark in 5.3sec. The top speed is, need you ask, restrained at 155mph.

Is the 2013 BMW X5 M50d a case of new car, old engine?

Yes, but that’s doing a disservice to BMW’s engineers, who have made the new car slightly faster and, allegedly, much more fuel efficient. The old version managed a claimed 37.7mpg – though an X6 running the tri-blower engine tested by CAR never managed more than 25.6mpg. The new model will return a claimed 42.2mpg, according to the EU test cycle.

CO2 emissions are down from 199g/km to 177g – sneaking the M50d into a lower tax band than a Toyota GT86. You might not like the vehicle, but you’ve got to hand it to BMW’s spannermen – they know how to stick two fingers up to the system.

Straight to the top of the diesel SUV class, then?

Not so fast. Porsche’s Cayenne S Diesel can’t match the M50d’s 40mpg-plus claimed economy, or its acceleration, but thanks to a ridiculous 626lb ft it’ll still out-drag a Cayman off the line. Not only is it the king of torque (caravanners, look no further) but its V8 timbre is more appealing than the M50d motor’s less cultured top end. Factor in the new Range Rover Sport’s turbodiesel V8 and you’re spoilt for choice for stupendously rapid luxury 4x4 transport this year.

What’s actually new for the 2013 X5 M50d?

The flagship X5 (thus far) brandishes a new M sport bodykit, featuring a supplementary air intake under the ‘kidney grille’ nostrils, and a deeper chin splitter. Larger tailpipes, a roof spoiler and ostentatious badging ram home the X5 M50d’s intent to following traffic. Wheels are 19in ‘M light-alloys’ as standard.

Inside, there are a few sporty ‘M’ accoutrements for the new X5’s smart cabin. Tricolore M badges adorn the natty triple-spoke steering wheel, bolstered seats, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox’s pistol-grip lever.

And what if I don’t give a monkey’s about fuel economy?

Then you won’t have to wait long to rack up Nectar points with this: the new X5 M. CAR’s spies scooped the new super-SUV lapping the Nurburgring earlier this year, in training for a showdown against the new supercharged Range Rover Sport, and Porsche’s venerable Cayenne Turbo S.

The M Division X5 will look much the same as the M50d in our gallery – bespoke wheels and quad exhaust tips will be the key visual changes, belying the brawn within.

Up front is a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-litre petrol-fed V8. Power will rise from the outgoing car’s 547bhp to an M5-busting 565bhp in the 2014 car, while a weight saving of as much as 150kg versus the old model will make for agile handling befitting of the Ultimate Driving Chelsea Tractor.

 

Kia’s radical new concept car is the Niro crossover, complete with butterfly doors, two-tone tyres and a Blake 7 cockpit in the best show car tradition. Look past the design flourishes, though, and you’ll see this is a statement of intent for Kia’s next niche car: a supermini-sized crossover to fight the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, and Vauxhall Mokka.

Kia Niro: what’s in a name?

Sensitive issue, this one, if you recall Kia’s coupe concept car from earlier in 2013: the Provo. We’re told it’s derived from the Korean word for ‘prototype’, but connotations with the Republic of Ireland’s troubled past stirred up opposition to the name…

‘Niro’ isn’t a reference to the car’s colour, or any Egyptian deities: it actually references the grade of stainless steel used for the car’s roof and pillars. Like much of the car’s styling, it’s more about form than function, but a cool feature nonetheless.

What is Kia saying about the Niro?

Not much, aside from the usual manufacturer spiel. We’re told the Niro is ‘ready to take on the urban environment with style and tenacity’, and, ‘[is ready for] any challenge that the assured modern motorist may throw at it … combin[ing] a mischievous character in a clearly robust and substantial yet stylish bodyshape featuring a mix of contrasting materials – including stainless steel elements – in compact, purposeful dimensions.’ Crikey.

Can you translate?

Essentially, Kia wants to gauge European reaction to a trendy, jacked-up Rio supermini. The bigger Sportage crossover and full-size Sorento SUV have proved highly successful for Kia in Europe, but the South Korean outfit has struggled to crack what’s known as the ‘B-segment’. The boxy Soul crossover is a niche choice in Europe, while the current Venga is more mini-MPV than look-at-me urban cool.

However, the Soul has been a big hit with young US buyers, so much so that the latest version has been designed in California. Copying the tactic, the Niro was penned in Kia’s European design house in Frankfurt, Germany, aimed at tickling European tastebuds.

Any ideas about the Niro’s engine?

No official word from Kia yet, save for the promise of ‘[a] preview [of] an innovative new powertrain. We could see a development of the Provo concept’s hybrid drivetrain: that car used a 1.6-litre, turbocharged petrol engine to drive the font wheels, assisted by an electric motor turning the rears.

 

The Swedes have done emotional coupes before – like the C70 and the legendary P1800 – but the Volvo Concept Coupe is the first from its new designer, Thomas Ingenlath. Recruited from VW, Ingenlath says that the concept, which is underpinned by the new SPA platform (which stands for Scalable Platform Architecture) that will be used on the 2014 XC90, is both a nod to the past and a signal of intent for the future. You’ll be able to see it at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

So is this a new C70?

No, it’s not a replacement for Peter Horbury’s superbly executed C70, but a concept that shows the design language that Ingenlath thinks will work on future models. While Horbury is still design director, this concept begins Ingenlath’s era, and the long proportions and svelte nature of this coupe aren’t the only reasons to be excited: his previous work includes the funky Skoda Roomster, sexy VW Concept Bluesport as well as being involved in the design of VW’s brilliant XL1. The Concept Coupe – which shows the new Volvo, compared to the Concept You of 2011 – is not a halo car wheeled out to gauge public response, but more a statement to say ‘look what’s coming’ as we wait for the long overdue replacement for the current XC90.

What are the elements that will transfer to the XC90 and production models?

This is the first time the new Volvo face has been shown. It’s made up of the grille and iron mark, with its diagonal strand linking the top and bottom, but it’s the new LEDs that Ingenlath wants you to think 'Volvo' the instant you see them. They’re like a sideways 'T', split in half, and they’ll be more upright on the XC60 and XC90 SUVs, just like the taillamps, which are more like ‘U’ shapes side-on. There’s also a focus on not too many details on the surface, which seems to be the opposite of brands such as Mercedes, and instead a focus on elegance and understatement, yet with 21-inch alloys and a high waistline, it commands respect.

What about inside?

The concept’s glass roof drenches the cabin in light; the interior is elegant and sophisticated. Like the outside, there’s a focus on simplicity, with the 9.7-inch centre screen forming the starting point for designers, with the rest of the interior framing it. There’s Volvo classic elements – such as the P1800-inspired dial surrounds blended with digital readouts, as well as retro-like three-their dash, which – on production models – will be customizable in terms of colour and material. By removing a litany of buttons, the touchscreen display, whose interface has been developed in-house at Volvo, means that there was money left in the kitty for the rotary dial and remaining few buttons to have premium, glassy finishes.

There’s more of that ‘understated aggression’ in the seats, too, with their race-like Alcantara shells yet cosseting leather centres. The piece de resistance? The crystal gear lever. It’s actual fashioned crystal, made down the road from Volvo’s Gothenburg HQ, and according to interior designer Robin Page, is production viable.

So why a sports car, then?

'It's relatable,' Ingenlath tells CAR. 'It's easily comparable to other brands and where we sit'. Yet while a flagship sports car may work as a halo model, he's adamant that Volvo is sticking to the plan set out under previous CEO, Stefan Jacoby (also ex-VW), in which the brand sets its house in order by getting the bread-and-butter models spot on. 'We will be stronger, with more character and expression,' Ingenlath says, 'but you can’t expect us to be mainstream.' Instead, Volvo is going for more elegant, understated designs under Ingenlath.

Yet it’s a nod to the past?

You bet. 'It would be foolish to ignore our 85-year history', the design director says. 'It's about embracing the heritage of our brand.' His favourite cars with the iron mark on them? The P1800, because it’s so different to other sports cars of the era, as well as the 142. 'The translation of that into the future is not as simple as looking at that car,' he says. 'We are not reinventing Volvo,' he admits,' '[but] we want to be beautiful and elegant in an era where the whole market is about being loud.'

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s been no engine mooted for the concept, but given that Volvo’s just released the details of its new VEA (Volvo Engine Architecture), one of the new four-cylinder turbocharged engines from this range would fit the bill. In fact, it would be fitted with the high-output VEA4, which is an all-alloy 2.0-litre with both a supercharger and a turbo. The higher-end engine has a larger turbocharger so, like the VW Group’s 1.4-litre twin-charged engine (which has an iron block), has a supercharger for low-down response. Power? 400bhp and a stump-pulling 443lb ft of torque. Weight? Volvo’s not saying, but the SPA and smaller, alloy engine bode well for a lithe package.

It's part of the approach that saw Volvo change its model nomenclature in 2011 away from the number of cylinders towards power output instead. The amount of cylinders, the company says, is no longer reflective of the car’s capabilities.

 

This is new Ford S-Max MPV, in thinly veiled concept car form. In all but the spangliest details though, this is Ford’s sporty new MPV, ushering in a host of on-board tech features, and a new 1.5-litre Ecoboost petrol engine.

The show car’s party pieces are health-monitoring gadgets, recording data like heart rates and glucose levels. There’s also on-board wi-fi and tablet device docking, plus voice control for your smartphone’s apps, like music streaming service Spotify.

The new Ford S-Max looks like a Fiesta on enormous wheels, no?

With the swept-back headlights, raked windscreen and the Aston Martin-alike grille all present, there’s a lot of facelifted Fiesta resemblance in the new S-Max, which wears the latest interpretation of Ford’s ‘Kinetic’ design. As with the current S-Max, the silhouette is sleeker than a regular one-box MPV, though Ford claims the new car will be just as commodious: the concept offers anything from four- to seven-seat configurations.

Perhaps the key design change from the outgoing S-max is the loss of those characteristic side gill vents. Instead, the vent has morphed into a more subtle side repeater feature.

Of course, concept car poetic license means this car, headed for the Frankfurt motor show in September 2013, does without door handles, thick pillars, and bulky door mirrors. Still, details aside, this is mostly how the new S-Max will look when it goes on sale in 2015.

But surely the most important bit of an MPV is its cabin?

Then the new S-Max looks to be off to a flier. While the deluxe leather and carbonfibre detailing won’t feature in the showroom models, the simplified switchgear and move to a more prominent central screen is a welcome change from the rather busy fascias in current Fords. The seats have a slimline design to liberate more interior space and save weight.

Spotted that gear selector? Ford might no longer own Jaguar, but Jaguar influence is certainly is on show here, in the form of that rotary gearbox controller, and the dual-view centre console display, which transmits different pictures to driver and passenger simultaneously.

Plus, there’s a tablet docking system, which doubles as the rear-passenger entertainment screen system. All devices are interconnected via Ford’s Sync wireless service.

And it’s an ambulance too?

Sort of. Ford has included a driver’s seat that can monitor the occupant’s heart rate, and record data which can be sent to hospitals via Ford Sync in the event of an medical emergency. The same interface handles the glucose monitor, which warns the driver if a child in the car’s back seats is suffering a diabetic attack. Still no gadget to make the little blighters actually behave, though…

Any other tech highlights?

The S-Max concept is the latest car to boast ‘car-to-car communications’, which manufacturers suggest will allow cars of the future to share information regarding congestion, accidents, and weather. We’re promised intelligent cars could ease traffic flow thanks to automatic rerouting, and increase safety. It’s an appealing idea, as long as the communication network is standardised between all carmakers.

The S-Max concept will also parallel park itself, and brake automatically if it senses jay-walking pedestrians.

And there’s a new engine?

Yes, a 1.5-litre four-pot developed from the existing 1.6-litre Ecoboost motor. The smaller 1.5-litre unit will boast superior economy figures, like-for-like power outputs, and in due course entirely replace the 1.6-litre engine.

When will we see a production-ready S-Max?

Although the S-Max is getting the Frankfurt show limelight, it’s the new Mondeo that’s next in the pipeline: the new rep favourite will go on sale in late 2014, including a debut for that new 1.5-litre engine. The new Ford S-Max will reach dealers in early 2015.

 

Here’s Peugeot’s salvo in the fight to make cars more economical: the 208 Hybrid FE. The supermini concept can achieve a claimed average of 112mpg (and a maximum of 141mpg), and emits only 49g/km of CO2.

Peugeot is especially keen to point out it’s a conventionally shaped supermini with five seats, unlike VW’s own super-frugal XL1, which looks decidedly sci-fi in comparison, but has a smaller boot than a Ferrari 458…

The 208 FE is 25% slipperier and 20% lighter than a regular 208, but that’s only part of the reason it allegedly achieves such eye-opening numbers at the pumps.

What’s the ‘FE’ in Peugeot 208 Hybrid FE for?

It’s a French double entendre: FE stands for Fuel Economy and Fun & Efficiency. The latter ‘fun’ tag relates to the car’s warm hatch-pegging 0-62mph time of 8.0sec, despite the eco-minded set-up.

What changes have been applied to the exterior?

Up front, there’s a new, low-drag grille – it’s 40% blanked off due to the retuned 1.2-litre engine requiring less cooling. Door mirrors and handles have been removed to cut drag; rear-view cameras, in classic concept car fashion, are preferred instead.

The tyres, developed specially for the 208 Hybrid FE by Michelin, use a narrow 145mm diameter to cut rolling resistance and drag. The 19in alloys have natty carbonfibre inserts to smooth airflow too. The biggest change is found at the rear of the car, where you’ll find an all-new air-smoothed rear end designed to disrupt airflow off the car’s rear as little as possible.

So it’s just an aerodynamic exercise then?

No, it’s actually much lighter than a regular 208 as well. The car’s body structure has been shaved from 295kg to 227kg thanks to composite panels, and there’s polycarbonate glazing which weighs 50% less than glass windows. Slimmed suspension components and composite resin interior fittings also contribute to the overall 20% weight cuts versus a regular 208.

And the drivetrain?

The common-or-garden 1.2-litre three-pot has been breathed on – there’s a higher compression ratio, lower friction lubricants, and geometrically-optimised components. Overall, internal friction has been slashed by 40%. The cylinder head itself has been machined with a reduced thickness versus a regular production item to save weight.

There’s a conventional manual transmission, albeit with no reverse ratio and new grease to prevent the lube gunking up the gear teeth over time and spoiling your mpg average. The petrol motor develops 68bhp but is 10% more efficient overall than a standard powerplant.

The really interesting bit is the hybrid knowhow that’s supposedly filtered down from Peugeot’s Le Mans programme. The 208 FE electric motor weighs only 7kg, but develops 40bhp and 22lb ft, spinning up to 40,000rpm. The electric motor also provides the 208 FE’s reverse function, missing from the back-to-basics gearbox. As with most hybrids, the motor also provides most of the car’s braking effort, via a reg-gen function which recharges the car’s battery when coasting to a halt. Of course, conventional disc brakes are fitted, but there’s no servo assistance, reducing demands on the engine.

Does the hybrid system spoil the 208’s practicality?

No – and this is what Peugeot’s really keen to stress – you still get a family-seating supermini with a decent boot. The 20kg battery pack is mounted alongside the 25-litre fuel tank underneath the rear bench seat, preserving cabin space and keeping the centre of gravity usefully low.

Come on, what’s the catch?

Apart from the fact the 208 FE is just a concept car, showing off what Peugeot can do, rather than what you can buy next week? Well, there’s no air-conditioning – that’s been binned due to its heinous effect on fuel consumption.

 

Audi has revealed prices for the new S3 Sportback ahead of its arrival in September. The BMW M135i and Mercedes A45 AMG rival starts at £31,260 for the six-speed manual, but you’ll want to pay an extra £1480 and get the six-speed twin-clutch S-tronic 'box that helps the five-door version of Audi’s 296bhp Quattro hot hatch see off 0 to 62mph in 4.9sec.

How does it compare to its closest rivals?

Price-wise the Sportback is marginally more expensive than the £31,100 M135i and rather a lot less than the A45 AMG, which comes in at £37,845. Such value does (funnily enough) come at a price, though: with the dual-clutch fitted its 2.0-litre four-cylinder may match the 316bhp BMW to 62mph, but it falls three-tenths short of the 355bhp Mercedes.

Roles reverse when it comes to economy – the Audi’s combined 40.9mpg is identical to the A45 AMG, beating the slightly less frugal Beemer by 3.2mpg – and the Sportback does even better in terms of emissions, the 159g/km C02 it generates is the lowest of the three.

Why would I get one instead of an S3?

Although fractionally slower than its three-door stablemate, the estate offers an extra 15 litres of bootspace and is 35mm longer between the front and rear axles. That Audi has been able to increase space for both luggage and people, whilst keeping the Sportback frugal, owes much to the fact it’s 70kg lighter than its predecessor, the MQB platform it shares with the new Golf helping to simultaneously lower the Sportback’s total to 1445kg and increase stiffness.

Obviously there are a fair amount of similarities, and you certainly won’t forget where you are – S logos adorn the steering wheel, the door sills, the gear lever and the instruments – but the Sportback does offer some unique features too, including all-LED headlights and in-car internet-based infotainment services using 4G. 

Which should I get?

With the S3 Sportback you’re essentially gaining extra practicality in exchange for a very slight loss of speed. If the alternatives don’t appeal – the A45 AMG, 135i or forthcoming Golf R – and you don’t fancy forking out for the brand new Audi, another option to consider is buying a used S3.

 

We’ve seen the design sketch of the new Infiniti Q30, and now here’s the first picture of the idea made real: it’s the Q30 concept car that’ll attend the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Infiniti Q30 concept: what’s the story?

Infiniti is busting three niches in one with the Q30: we’re told the car’s body is a fusion ‘merging the dynamic design and sportiness of a coupe, the roominess of a hatch and the higher stance of a crossover’.

Design cues such as the acutely kinked C-pillar and strong styling lines along the doors have been carried over from the Etherea concept car first unveiled in 2011.

The new Infiniti hatchback will be based on the Mercedes A-class platform and built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant from 2015. For more on Infiniti’s new 1-series rival.

The Peugeot 308 R could be the biggest hint yet that Peugeot is getting its mojo back. Carrying the RCZ concept’s styling into production was a good start, and the new 208 GTi is a pleasantly surprising hoot, but for bigger smiles you’ll want this: a 270bhp, carbonfibre-clad hot hatch that’ll give an Audi S3 a fright, and leave a Golf GTI in its tyre tracks. The catch? It’s just a concept car, for now…

Did Peugeot run out of paint?

No, the two-tone red/black look is entirely deliberate – it’s inspired by the Onyx supercar concept. Fortunately, the mods go deeper than just a textured paint job.

Is it all RCZ R bits under the bonnet?

Yes, hence the 270bhp output from just a 1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder. The front wheels only are tasked with applying 270 horses and 243lb ft, but are assisted by a torque-sensing front differential to limit wheelspin. The 44.1mpg and 169g/km economy figures of the RCZ R have been preserved too, says Peugeot.
Performance figures haven’t been announced, but note the mechanically identical RCZ R does 0-62mph in 5.9sec and is limited to 155mph flat out. The 308 R should be faster still, thanks to an exotic cocktail of new materials…

Has Peugeot come over all carbon-crazy?

How did you guess? Only the roof and bootlid panels of the 308 R are carried over from the new hatchback: the doors, front wings, bonnet and bumpers are all carbonfibre. The chassis is the same EMP2 aluminium platform as that of the regular 308, itself 140kg lighter than the old car.

What else is new?

The 308 R rides on bespoke 19in wheels wearing 235-section rubber, and is stopped by Alcon racing brakes measuring a meaty 380mm up front and gripped by four-piston calipers. The whole car sits 26mm lower to the ground than a showroom 308, and stands 30mm wider.
The bodykit comprises aggressive new air intakes, side skirts and rear bumper with larger exhausts and a bootlid spoiler. Slimline door mirrors are a new addition for the R too.
Sounds like a proper job then…
It does, though we suspect the reason for the depth of the makeover is that this is just a concept car. Though Peugeot insiders admit they’d love company execs to sign off a 308 hot hatch, badged either GTi or R, it won’t happen unless the bean-counters are absolutely convinced there’s a business case there.  If (or more likely, when) Peugeot does produce a halo 308, you can bet it won’t get the extortionate carbonfibre bodywork of this show car.

Toyota has released fresh information regarding its 414bhp supermini concept ahead of its debut at next month’s Frankfurt motor show.
The Yaris Hybrid R drivetrain features Toyota Motorsport’s 1.6-litre racing petrol engine to power the front wheels and twin electric motors generating 60bhp apiece to run those at the back, giving the car all-wheel drive and a combined output of up to 414bhp. The car also makes use of a supercapacitor inspired by Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid Le Mans racer – energy generated under heavy braking is stored and can be quickly deployed to the rear wheels for an extra burst of power.

Haven’t we heard this already?

Mostly yes, but Toyota has gone into greater detail about precisely how its latest concept functions under the bonnet. For instance a third 60bhp motor is located between the engine and six-speed sequential transmission, operating as a generator which feeds power to the supercapacitor during deceleration. Sounds very Back To the Future – where’s the Mr Fusion reactor, Toyota?
Under heavy acceleration – if the front wheels can’t cope with the power and torque coming from the turbocharged four-cylinder engine – it again works as a generator, sending excess torque to the rear motors as electrical energy, a form of traction control designed to boost acceleration and control rather than simply limit engine power. It’s this sort of speed-enhancing tech that’s set to make future hot hybrids more fun to drive, hopes Toyota.

What else is new?

The Hybrid-R’s rear electric motors also serve as generators when the car is braked, a function which can be used to alter the torque distribution and improve handling.
By independently switching between functions, the system can send more torque to the outside rear wheel while simultaneously applying braking force to the inside, limiting understeer and adjusting the yaw effect when cornering. If the torque vectoring tech sounds familiar, it’s because ultimate hybrids like the Porsche 918 Spyder use a similar set-up.

 

Here’s the first image of Toyota’s new hot hatch concept: a Yaris Hybrid boasting a faintly ridiculous 400bhp power output.

You won’t be surprised to learn the Yaris Hybrid-R isn’t intended for series production: it’s just a party piece to celebrate 5.5m worldwide Toyota hybrid sales since 1997, and point to future Toyota hybrids that the company says will offer faster performance and a grin-inducing drive.

What powers the Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept?

Under the bonnet, the super-Yaris uses Toyota Motorsport’s 1.6-litre racing petrol engine to drive the front wheels. Twin electric motors power the rear wheels for all-wheel drive traction. The car employs know-how from Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid Le Mans prototype racer, too. Energy is harvested under heavy braking and stored in a quick-spinning capacitor, and deployed to the rear wheels for an extra boost in performance.

What else is Toyota bringing along to the Frankfurt show?

You’ll see the latest steps Toyota has taken to make a production fuel cell vehicle viable, ahead of a fuel cell hybrid going on sale in 2015. With Hyundai already poised to release a fuel cell-powered ix35 crossover, Toyota’s looking to fight back in the race to get ahead in the alternative powertrain market.

Meanwhile, Toyota’s luxury offshoot Lexus will preview its new Frankfurt releases tomorrow at 9am, so stay tuned to CAR Online as we bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of one of the world’s biggest motor shows.

 

Page 106 of the new Range Rover Sport’s owner’s manual contains the following revelation: ‘this vehicle is not designed for cornering at the same speed as conventional passenger cars any more than a low-slung sports car is designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road conditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt manoeuvres.’

Having driven the Range Sport around Rockingham’s soaking infield circuit 0.6sec faster than our ‘low-slung’ Subaru BRZ long-termer, that first bit of text is clearly cobblers’. Hold the Tipp-Ex on the second part, though, because I’ve just ploughed the Range Sport through an old quarry lake, water lapping over its headlights and a tsunami-sized bow wave threatening to engulf photographer Greg Pajo as I powered back onto dry land. After that, I don’t feel compelled to put a brand new Japanese sports car into a salvage auction to prove the point.

'An automotive Swiss Army knife'

It’s an automotive Swiss Army knife, this Range Rover Sport, and very few cars have ever come anywhere close to its level of all-encompassing ability. We’re not driving the bells and whistles 5.0-litre supercharged Sport with its 503bhp and 461lb ft, either: this is the SDV6, a car that sits just one step up from the bottom of the range and one that Brits will typically buy. Its 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel makes 288bhp and 443lb ft while promising 38mpg and 199g/km. You’ll pay from £60k, that figure rising to – hark the press car bells and whistles – £75k for our highfalutin Autobiography specification with its sliding panoramic roof , 18-way powered leather seats, heated steering wheel, three-zone climate and various other fripperies.
If you’ve ever driven the outgoing Range Sport, trading up to the new model will feel like stepping out of a pair of concrete boots. Push on down a tricky B-road and, yes, the 2005 Range Sport would show its bigger, lumbering Range Rover father a clean pair of heels, but then the 2002 Range Rover liked to roll about like a cat in a heatwave. It was the comparison with rivals – not relatives – that spotlighted the Sport’s deficiencies: it felt like a hefty, sometimes chaotic car to hustle and its Cayenne and X5/X6 classmates were a year advanced when it came to physics lessons. Not any more.

That’s because while the new model is still recognisably a Range Rover Sport – you need to see old and new side-by-side to really appreciate the quite radical differences – an engineering revolution lies at its core. The old Sport’s steel bodyshell was attached to a cut-and-shut Discovery T5 ladder-frame chassis; the new model features an aluminium monocoque that’s derived from the new Range Rover but is in fact 75% new.

'Land Rover hasn’t just rescued the Range Sport from a tailspin'

At a still-hefty 2115kg, our diesel V6 is nonetheless a substantial 420kg lighter – equivalent to a car full of adults each carrying a heavy suitcase! – than its predecessor, and it’s stiffer too, which means the engineers have been able to tune the suspension – double wishbone front, multi-link rear, air springs all round – for extra handling precision. The new Range Sport is lighter, it’s more agile, it’s faster, it’s more fuel-efficient – Land Rover hasn’t just rescued the Range Sport from a tailspin, they’ve pulled back on the controls and turned it into a virtuous circle.

But while experiments on-track and off-road illustrate the extremes of this car’s competencies, it’s the bit in the middle that we need to focus on, the bit that virtually every Range Sport owner is going to spend 100% of their time doing: driving it on the road.

You climb into a cabin that feels almost a carbon copy of the new Range Rover with its aggressively angled dash, simplified interfaces and luxurious finishes. The corners of the car are easy to identify from the driver’s seat, the cockpit feels light and airy and rearward visibility is good considering you’re dealing with almost five metres of metal – our car’s reversing camera ably makes up for the bits you can’t see, and it’s a worthwhile £300 option on low-spec cars.

'Trading regal for racy'

Yet there are some important distinctions versus the Range Rover, and they subtly signal what’s in store before you even press the starter button: the rotary gear selector is gone, replaced by a stubby Jaguar F-type stick; you sit lower in seats that remain extremely comfortable but offer far more aggressive lateral support; and the steering wheel is noticeably smaller, a clear nod that you’re trading regal for racy.

It’s a fabulous ambience, one that’s let down only by a pair of clicky, cheap-feeling paddleshifters and that dated infotainment system that’s still too unintuitive and requires too many button pushes to access its functions. The new shortcut buttons that border the screen are a partially successful fix, but they’re sticking plasters that disguise a deeper malaise. Arms shorter than a T-Rex? Just try tapping the ‘menu’ button on the far left of the screen: the rakish dash means it’s as out of reach as the ticket at the multi-storey car-park barrier. The German rotary controllers do it better, and one day Jaguar Land Rover will abandon this entire philosophy in favour of something more intuitive and less distracting. Preferably something that better compliments the slick TFT renderings of analogue dials that fill the instrument binnacle on our top-spec car (lower specs get plain old dials, sorry).

But on the A1, heading for North Yorkshire, the niggling gripes melt into the background because the Range Sport proves a faultless companion: the ride quality on our 21-inch rims is superb, a spot-on combination of tied-down body control and easy, indulgent compliance; wind and tyre-noise is a distant hum; the eight-speed auto slips through its ratios like a blackjack dealer expertly shuffling the pack and the V6 turbodiesel is happy to play wallflower.

Despite its dynamic brief, the Range Sport cocoons like a limo, and it’s far kinder to those in the back than it once was, largely because the dimensions are suitably enlarged: the wheelbase stretches by 178mm, and it’s 4mm lower and 62mm longer too. So the boot is larger at 784 litres – though it still looks relatively small for such a big car, the high boot floor disguising our optional, whopping full-size spare that now sits under the carpet rather than dangling below the chassis like a cow that’s missed a milking. That stretch in wheelbase means the looks are far better balanced than the truncated original, and there’s more space for rear-seat lounging – you can even recline the rear seats for a properly business-class experience. The rear headrests might be far firmer than the S-class-like plumpness that indulges those up front, but George Michael will be no safer from dozily plunging onto the fast lane of the M1 than he was while relaxing in the back seats of any other Range Rover.

Not convinced that a car this big and seemingly practical can seat only five? You can spec a part-time third row of seats, and they could prove a life-saver for larger families and celebrity narcoleptics alike, though for rather different reasons.

'Best-of-both-world’s fix for agility and ride quality'

A couple of hours of painless dual-carriageway schlepping and we’re off the major routes, ready to scythe across the epic sweeps and undulations of the Yorkshire Dales. It’s at this point that Land Rover suggests you hand over a little more cash: base cars get standard dampers and anti-roll bars, but you can also choose active dampers and standard anti-roll bars while high-spec models get a Dynamic chassis that heralds active dampers and active anti-roll bars that firm up during cornering but de-couple on the straights to give a best-of-both-world’s fix for agility and ride quality. Range Sports that come with that latter option also come with an electronically controlled rear locking differential and torque-vectoring tech.

Absolutely no prizes for guessing that the press office has supplied us with a Dynamic-equipped car, something that’s absent from the TDV6 and base SDV6 models, coming on stream only with the £65k SDV6 HSE Dynamic and our £75k SDV6 Autobiography.

Reach down to the Terrain Response dial – usually synonymous with its mud and ruts and grass/gravel/snow off-road settings – and switch it to the squiggly road symbol and you’ll tap into the full performance-boosting spectrum that the Dynamic cars offer: it firms up the dampers, adds a bit more weight to the steering and diverts additional torque from the front to the rear wheels.
Unlike some German rivals, there’s not a massively pronounced difference between the dampers in their Dynamic and standard modes, but you do notice that the body control tightens up and the chassis stops its light rocking back and forth, and yet the trade-off in ride quality is so small that you could easily forget that you’ve gone hardcore, and end up defaulting to it all the time. I did; I preferred it.

The steering – an electro-mechanical system the like of which is so often whinged about when we’re road-testing Porsches – is beautiful: nicely weighted, quick, responsive and accurate, and there are even subtle hints of the fizz and buzz of the road surface making its way back up through the rack.

And we already know that this thing can carve corners, right? There’s limited roll and tenacious grip from the front end that will cede to understeer if you’re over-ambitious, but more likely you’ll sense that you’ve worked the front tyres to their limits and ease the car into the corner, then get back on the throttle really early and let the E-diff and torque vectoring and anti-roll bars do their thing, swooping you through the apex and powering you out of a bend that’d see you disappearing for a spot of spontaneous off-roading if you tried the same thing at the same speed in the old car.

'It feels mischievously good to drive'

Throw in a sodden surface and you’d have some difficulty shifting a well-driven Range Sport from the rear-view mirror of a modern performance car such are its point-to-point abilities. The elevated seating position makes sighting cross-country easy, gives excellent visibility for overtaking, and then you just lean on that chassis, knowing that there’s abundant grip, that there’ll be no lurching and untidy compressing of suspension as you flick-flick through direction changes. It feels mischievously good to drive.

There is an Achilles heel for our SDV6, though, and it’s a big one: it’s just not quick enough, the powertrain relying on the brilliant chassis to supply the speed rather than the grunt alone. The same engine in a Jag XF Sportbrake feels only just potent enough to deliver the kind of thrust we’ve been so spoilt with in modern six-pot turbodiesels. In the Range Sport, with an extra 235kg to lug, it feels noticeably blunted, and at first you’ll probably shift down when you feel the mid-range isn’t quite delivering the pace you expected, only to find yourself rapidly climbing out of the powerband and wishing there was more top-end to exploit. The reluctant, soggy throttle response doesn’t help the cause, either.

It leaves a gap for a rival to nip in and romp to glory, and that rival already exists: a Porsche Cayenne Diesel S is yours for £58k – £2k cheaper than a basic SDV6 – and its V8 turbodiesel blows our test car so far into the weeds that you’ll need every bit of the Range Sport’s four-wheel-drive hardware to get it back out again. Is the Cayenne as good off-road? Probably not, but we know that’s its abilities are still far beyond what pretty much anyone out there actually requires.

The Range Sport stands as a massive achievement, a car I’d happily own and recommend, but the Cayenne Diesel S does everything that you actually need it to do as well or better and it’s yours for less cash – as much as £7k less if you factor in the Dynamic kit you’ll need to make your Range Sport handle like ours. How do you argue with that?

 Words: Ben Barry Photography: Greg Pago