Description

With spring now finally sprung, we’ve got an invaluable A-to-Z guide to car valeting to get your car in tip-top condition, and to wash away all of the winter grime. It’s been produced in association with Autoglym, one of the leaders in car care. The cover story for the April 2024 issue of Diesel&EcoCar magazine is all about the Skoda Octavia, which gets a mid-life update for 2024, and is in showrooms this summer.

There’s also news of the facelifted Audi A3, the latest MG3, now in hybrid guise, and the Skoda Epic, a concept car previewing a future baby electric SUV. Audi has taken the wraps off the Q6 e-tron, there’s the first pictures of the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer, and a bright yellow update to the Nissan Juke. Cupra has turned up the wick with a new 322bhp VZ flagship and Hyundai has revealed an update for the Ioniq 5, including new N Line editions. Ineos has revealed the smaller Fusilier, Fiat has revealed a brace of concept cars, and Abarth has revealed more about the 600e.

We’ve also driven the Mercedes-Benz E 220 d on UK soil, put the Fiat 600e through its paces, tested the Renault Scenic E-Tech and Peugeot’s E-3008. The distinctive looking BMW iX2 is driven, as are the facelifted editions of the Skoda Scala and Hyundai i20. Finally, we get behind the wheel of the new 129bhp Toyota Yaris Hybrid in GR Sport guise. On the long-term fleet we say hello to the Honda ZR-V Hybrid, but wave goodbye to our much-loved Peugeot 408 Plug-in Hybrid. 

Tested:

• BMW iX2 xDrive30 M Sport
• Fiat 600e La Prima Automatic
• Hyundai i20 Ultimate 1.0T
• Mercedes-Benz E 220 d AMG Line Premium Plus Automatic
• Peugeot E-3008 GT Automatic
• Renault Scenic E-Tech Iconic Long Range Automatic
• Skoda Scala SE 1.0 TSI (95)
• Toyota Yaris Hybrid GR Sport 1.5 VVT-i Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Cupra Formentor VZ2 e-Hybrid 245 DSG Automatic
• Genesis GV70 Sport 2.2 AWD Automatic
• Honda ZR-V e:HEV 2.0 i-MMD Hybrid Advance
• Hyundai Kona Ultimate Electric Automatic
• Mazda CX-60 AWD Takumi e-Skyactiv D
• Peugeot 408 Allure Premium Plug-in Hybrid 225 Automatic
• Skoda Karoq SportLine 2.0 TDI 4×4 Automatic

Features:

• A to Z – car cleaning and valeting
• Current affairs – what are solid state batteries
• Gadget Inspector
• Techzone – Advance exit warning and Stellantis battery swap pilot
• Technology explained – what is air suspension?
• The Doctor – advice column
• You, the jury – the manual driving licence

Buying, selling and maintaining

• Generation Game – MINI Countryman – 2014-2017, 2017-2020, 2020-2024
• Hero or zero – Ford Ka+
• Product watch – MoT tests
• Remember this – Rover 400 Series (HHR)
• Secondhand shootout – Audi A8 vs Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Used Car Buyer’s Guide

• Toyota Yaris Hybrid 1.5 VVT-i

Data Files

• A-to-Z – European car of the year winners, including second and third place
• Forgotten Concept – 2014 DS Divine
• Joy of Lists – Every car that has featured the PSA Group XUD engine
• Megafactories – Renault Douai, France
• The most comprehensive and up-to-date in the business

Regulars

• News and views
• News in pictures
• Motoring Morsels
• Refuelling Costs
• Gadget Inspector
• The Doctor
• This Month
• Current Affairs
• Techzone
• Roadwatch
• You, the jury
• Motorgrump
• Bright Spark
• DM@il
• Tuning Torque
• Tuning specialists directory
• Buying. Selling and Maintaining
• The Generation Game
• The Doctor’s Hero or Zero
• Marketplace Statistics
• Marketplace In The Pipeline
• Marketplace What’s New
• Data Files
• Next month