It may be April Fool’s day, but there’s no trickery going on in the latest edition of Diesel&EcoCar magazine. We’ve got the first information on the hot new Dacia Striker that will have the competition shaking in their boots. Also, in the news pages, it is all about the Mercedes-Benz VLE luxury MPV, as well as the revised Cupra Born, the updated BYD Seal, Porsche Cayenne Electric S, Chery Tiggo 4 and the Lepas L8. And if that wasn’t enough, we’re featuring MG’s first seven-seater, the S9, and the Jaecoo 8 SUV.

Elsewhere, we get behind the wheel of the new MG4 Urban EV, the facelifted Vauxhall Astra, Xpeng G6, and the Honda Prelude on UK tarmac, as well as putting the brilliant new BMW iX3 through its paces. Kia’s new PV5 Passenger MPV is driven, too, and we try out a rare treat, a plug-in hybrid fitted with a diesel engine, under the bonnet of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class estate. In Our Cars, we welcome a Mazda2 Hybrid to the pages, and wave goodbye to our SEAT Leon eHybrid.

This month we’ve got a guide to modern day car cleaning, in association with the nice people at GYEON, and subject the Jaguar XF to scrutiny for this month’s used car buyer’s guide. Three generations of Volvo’s XC60 are examined and we ask whether the Skoda Citigo-e iV was a hero or zero. We look back at Renault’s mk1 Clio 1.9 diesel and in Legal Lane explore whether side hustles will leave you uninsured, for the sake of earning a few extra pounds.

This is in addition to all of your other favourite features including Motorgrump, Fully Equipped, Bright Spark, and the most up-to-date data section in the magazine business. Don’t forget to check out one of our newest columns, Grand Designs, that places a spotlight on the Kia Pop concept car from 2010, as well as an interesting look at past prototypes, clay models and design sketches, some or all of which you may never have seen before.

Tested:

• BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro Automatic
• Honda Prelude e:HEV 2.0 i-MMD Advance Automatic
• Kia PV5 Passenger Essential Long Range Automatic
• Mercedes-Benz C 300 de AMG Line Premium Plus Estate Automatic
• MG4 Urban EV Premium Long Range Automatic
• Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Ultimate Electric Automatic
• Xpeng G6 Long Range Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Abarth 600e Scorpionissima Automatic
• Jeep Avenger 4xe The North Face Edition 1.2 e-Hybrid Automatic
• Mazda 2 Hybrid 1.5 Homura Automatic
• Peugeot 3008 GT 145 Mild Hybrid Automatic
• Renault Symbioz E-Tech Iconic Esprit 160 Automatic
• SEAT Leon FR e-Hybrid DSG Automatic
• Skoda Octavia Estate SE L 2.0 TDI DSG Automatic
• Toyota Yaris Cross GR Sport Hybrid 1.5 VVT-i Automatic
• Vauxhall Mokka Electric GS Automatic
• Volvo XC90 Ultra T8 AWD Plug-in Hybrid Automatic

Features:

• Bright Spark – Neue Klassse
• Current affairs – Is buying a damaged EV worth the risk?
• Gadget Inspector in association with GYEON
• Motorgrump – Public transport
• Cleaning and Valeting special
• Technology explained – What is steer by wire?
• The Doctor – advice column
• You, the jury – is it time to ban plastics gloves?

Buying, selling and maintaining

• Generation Game – Volvo XC60 – three generations explored
• Hero or zero – Skoda Citigo-e iV
• Product watch – Air conditioning regassing
• Remember this – Renault Clio 1.9D Mk1
• Secondhand shootout – BMW 5 Series vs Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Used Car Buyer’s Guide

• Jaguar XF and XF Sportbrake (2020 to 2025)

Data Files

• Denied diesels – Volvo 340 Diesel
• Forgotten Concept – Kia Pop Concept
• Joy of Lists – Top 10 EVs with the best residual values
• Under development – Volkswagen Ehra-Lessien
• The most comprehensive and up-to-data in the business

Regulars

• News and views
• News in pictures
• Motoring Morsels
• Refuelling Costs
• Day trip to…
• What’s On
• Gadget Inspector
• The Doctor
• This Month
• Current Affairs
• Techzone
• You, the jury
• Motorgrump
• Fully equipped
• Bright Spark
• DM@il
• 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
• Grand Designs
• The Legal Lane