Another bright and bold cover for the February 2026 issue of Diesel&EcoCar magazine, with the Citroën ELO concept taking price of place on the cover. While there are no plans for production right now, it’s likely that elements of the car will appear on future Citroën designs, a bit like it did with the Oli from 2022. That show car went on to influence the appearance of the C3, C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross.

We have also got the first photos of the facelifted Vauxhall Astra and updated Peugeot 408, as well as lots of Kia news, including an interview with Jochen Paesen, Vice President and Head of Kia Future Design. As well as discussing and looking at the new EV2, we’ve got the inside line on what we can expect from Kia in the coming years. And if that isn’t enough, there’s news about the EV3 GT, EV4 GT and EV5 GT.

We’ve been driving Citroën’s new C5 Aircross on UK roads in mild hybrid and electric guises and put the diesel Audi A6 Avant through its paces. Kia’s EV5 is tested too, as well as the updated Toyota bZ4X which features a larger battery pack. Completing this month’s tests is the Fiat 500 Hybrid and the Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid. In the Our Cars section, we wave goodbye to our super bright Abarth 500e and Volvo V90, with replacements soon to be announced.

The headline act for the February 2026 issue is the Diesel&EcoCar Used Car Top 50, as we count down the winners in this year’s awards. If you’re in the market for a secondhand car in 2026, you really can’t miss it.

With Mitsubishi set to return to the UK market later this year, we take a look at the vehicles that are already earmarked for showrooms and speculate about those that could make an appearance. We’ve got a new set of letters for the Doctor to respond to, we examine three generations of the Vauxhall Corsa, and this month’s used car buyer’s guide is all about the eye-catching Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

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 looks back at The Peugeot BB1 concept car, 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. Finally, don’t forget to read the column from our resident legal expert, Neil Sargeant, in Legal Lane.

Tested:

• Audi A6 Avant S line 2.0 TDI quattro Automatic
• Citroen C5 Aircross Max Hybrid 145 Automatic
• Citroen E-C5 Aircross Max Electric 210 Automatic
• Fiat 500 Hybrid Torino Edition
• Ford Ranger Double Cab Stormtrak 2.3 Ti-VCT EcoBoost Plug-in Hybrid Automatic
• Kia EV5 GT-Line Automatic
• Toyota bZ4X Design Automatic

Long-term test reports:

• Abarth 500e Turismo Automatic
• Jeep Avenger 4xe The North Face Edition 1.2 e-Hybrid Automatic
• Mazda CX-80 PHEV Homura Plus 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 V90 Plus T6 AWD Automatic

Features:

• Bright Spark – Switchover dates for EVs
• Current affairs – How does the battery passport system work?
• Gadget Inspector
• Insight – Mitsubishi’s return to the UK market
• Motorgrump – Naff additions
• Technology explained – How does a heat pump work in an EV?
• The Doctor – advice column
• You, the jury – bring back the knob

Buying, selling and maintaining

• Generation Game – Vauxhall Corsa – three generations explored
• Hero or zero – Land Rover Freelander
• Product watch – Replacement batteries
• Remember this – Hyundai Trajet
• Secondhand shootout – Honda Jazz vs Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Used Car Buyer’s Guide

• Alfa Romeo Stelvio (2023 to 2025)

Data Files

• Denied diesels – Alfa Romeo 75
• Forgotten Concept – Peugeot BB1
• Joy of Lists – Cars with residual values that have recently improved
• Under development – Porsche Weissach, Germany
• 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