Many kilometers in an E61 535d have left a nostalgic feeling for what makes a BMW a BMW for me. Mirror that feeling to recent, controversial decisions by the brand, and after reading this review, you’ll see why I ended up relieved.
It rarely happens that a car makes you nervous even before you open the door, but the OMODA 9 SHS managed to do exactly that. My previous experience with the JAECOO 7 SHS had not been particularly positive. It was a product full of good intentions, but lacking the finesse to truly measure up to what we are used to in Europe.
You would not immediately expect the larger, more ambitious OMODA 9 to simply erase that disappointment. And yet, the moment I stepped inside, doubt slowly began to give way.
SUVs dominate the market at the moment, but that doesn’t scare some manufacturers to still offer estate cars. One of those all-time favorite estates is the Volkswagen Passat and guess what: there is a new one!
Though the world may never have been as polarized and divided as today, almost everyone agrees that the Mercedes-AMG SL is nothing but beautiful. But when I mention a 4-cylinder in the SL? You're right back in the polarized world.
Some cars you should not test for two days, you should live with them, and that is exactly what we did with this 50,000 km Range Rover P510e. A 510 hp plug-in hybrid with V12-like refinement, superhuman comfort and quality that shrugs off big mileage, it feels box-fresh long after most cars would show their age. Regal mobility at its finest.
Some cars don’t impress with brute figures, but with something far more relevant: how complete they feel in everyday use. And that is exactly where the Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor excels.
On paper it’s “only” 299 hp, “only” a single motor, and “only” on 19‑inch wheels. Yet on the road, this feels like one of the most mature and well‑rounded electric cars in its class. Not because it tries to overwhelm, but because nothing feels underdeveloped, rushed or out of balance.
If the R5 is Renault's retro-electric statement, then the new R4 E-Tech feels like the mature, refined big brother. Yes, on paper they look alike, but in practice the differences are too big to ignore. For us the R4 is not a better R5. But it may well be the most complete of the two. And more than that: a serious contender for Car of the Year 2026.
If you ask us: yes, this is a McLaren the way we want to see one in 2025. A hybrid supercar that dares to be silent, but fills your ears when you ask. The Artura Spider is a unique mix of technology, emotion and driving dynamics, and after an extensive drive I am more than impressed.
After almost 1,000 km of testing on European roads, motorways and winding secondary routes, our consumption sat at 2.2 l/100 km and 14.2 kWh/100 km, figures you would normally only expect from a much smaller plug-in, certainly not from a long-wheelbase S-Class limousine. And yet: the S 450 e Long convinced us on every level. We may still be fans of a strong S-Class diesel, but this hybrid version won our hearts in an unexpected way.
Every single time, regardless of which version ends up in front of us, we fall in love all over again. Completely. The A110 R Turini is no exception. Quite the opposite, in fact. It pulls us even deeper into the rabbit hole of everything that makes Alpine so singular.
The Kia EV3 arrived with a heavy label attached to it: Car of the Year. That kind of title immediately raises expectations, especially for a brand that has made such an impressive leap in the EV space over the past few years. The EV6 and EV9 pushed the bar high, so the EV3 seemed destined to do the same in the compact segment.
Little over half a year ago, I had the pleasure of driving the 843 hp Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance in Nice, France. That encounter was only brief and didn't leave an impression, as its non-PHEV family member did back in 2019. Is a multiple-day encounter with one of AMG's flagships enough to win me over?
