Articles
Hyundai Ioniq 6
By Tim Saunders
Is blazing your own path in life, rather than following the crowd, important to you? The curvaceous Hyundai Ioniq 6 with its striking design should appeal to such drivers.
Evocative retro design from the 1950s is the unique feature of this luxury electric saloon. So much more appealing than anything the bland competition is offering. Until now this area was monopolised by Smeg with its fridge freezers. The Hyundai’s sloping back reminds me of a VW Beetle, Porsche or the Citroen CX but it’s more pronounced and lower to the ground. It is like a rounded updated CX without the rising suspension. Unlike the aforementioned it has an electric bootlid and other design touches include detailing on the bumpers and a clear plastic strip on the rear spoiler. As an electric car it’s vital that it is aerodynamic so the considered design no doubt gives it low drag, too. While I appreciate and applaud the unusual door handles – that you push in on the right hand side, which then sees the handle rise from the door on the left that opens it – these are fiddly, awkward and impractical when arriving at the car with the children’s school bags. Although it is funny when the children first try to get in the car and they are stood there scratching their heads but it doesn’t take them long to master it. Traditional door handles are certainly easier to operate and good design should be easy to use, in my book.
The striking overall design of this modern Citroen CX or slightly squashed and elongated Beetle, certainly catches the attention of the passenger in a builder’s van crawling along beside us in a rush hour traffic jam on the M27 one Friday night. He can’t take his eyes off it.
And the designers have not just concentrated on the exterior, they have sprinkled some character inside, too. In the cabin there are fins, reminiscent of 1950s Cadillacs, protruding from either end of the dashboard. Here’s a car that makes me smile. And I need that at the moment. It’s really heartening to see that good design is not dead. Opening the glovebox sees a tray slide out rather than it simply falling open in the usual manner. It’s all quite refreshing. That said, I don’t warm to the column gear selector being on the right hand side of the steering wheel. It’s awkward for me and just slows me down. But again, cars of the past had such things and they’ll probably sell more of these in the States than here anyway - it frees up space on the centre console for the electric window switches, too.
Hyundai reckons it’ll travel over 300 miles on a full charge. I don’t know about that because it is delivered to me with a range of 116 miles, which is enough for us to drive to the school cross country awards at Waterlooville where Heidi(11) and Henry(8) are competing. They come 23 and 76 respectively out of a few hundred children from schools across Hampshire.
In common with all other electric cars I find the reading will advise say, 116 miles when you park up, and then when you start it again you’ve somehow lost four miles. I’ve mentioned before how I struggle with the luxury of electric cars and the fact that everything inside is electric, which of course drains the battery, which frankly, is infuriating. In my eyes there’s no room for great luxury in an electric car. My main luxury is having warm feet, which this model provides. What annoys me is for instance, that Heidi in the back has heated seats and can turn them on whenever she likes without a care about the range being affected. Well, why don’t you go and charge it up? I hear you ask. I have a busy life and don’t have time to queue or wait to charge it. I have no plans to have a home charger either as I remain unconvinced about this expensive technology.
Acceleration is lightning quick as we’ve come to expect from these vehicles but of course you can’t drive at that speed for long without the range plummeting.
This is probably the biggest electric car you’ll come across; it’s a luxury saloon, far more eye-catching and characterful than a Tesla and with that aim in mind Hyundai has succeeded and surpassed that.
The name is interesting too. Ioniq. If you go back to your physics at school an ion is an atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electric charge as a result of having lost or gained one or more electrons – so an eminently appropriate name for a car. Perhaps the ‘iq’ relates to intelligence quota… for the driver who has something about them.
Facts at a glance
Kia Sorento 1.6 HEV T-GDi AWD
By Tim Saunders
A seven-seater SUV that seems to travel at speeds of up to 50mph in EV mode. That’s what I experience while driving the Kia Sorento on the motorway.
I’ve driven numerous hybrids and many will only travel at up to 30mph on EV mode. So, you can imagine my amazement when I’m on the M27 and see the EV sign flash up on the dash and I’m not free-wheeling at the time either. This is the 1.6-litre petrol version and a full tank will travel over 500 miles returning around 42mpg during the test.
My time with the Kia takes place when there’s persistent rain for days on end (what’s new in England?). This results in surface water on virtually every road we travel down. It becomes particularly worrying on the country lanes where there aren’t just puddles but the entire road surfaces seem to be covered in water and on occasions it’s hard to gauge the depth. I’d be worried if I was in a standard everyday car especially when there are so many potholes about but I’m in the Sorento so excess water and poor roads are no challenge whatsoever. Nevertheless, caution is called for. I remember in 2023 during the autumn floods, a driver who often passed through a usually low Yorkshire river, attempted to do the same but with some passengers, and they all died as their off-roader was overcome by treacherous water. Never be complacent on or off road.
During torrential downpours the Kia’s wipers are sufficiently fast to keep the windscreen clear.
It’s my eldest daughter’s birthday and she wants to go for a walk in the South Downs regardless of the weather so after our picnic - inside the vehicle - we brave the elements and have a great time. However, when we return we are dripping – a great test for those heated seats in the front and second row (but not the third row where Henry is sitting). These seats are also cooled when that blistering summer heat arrives. They’re effective although “not as hot as in other cars” says my wife, Caroline. Well, that can’t be a bad thing as far as I can tell.
In common with all modern vehicles there are lots of warning sounds and beeps and when turning the engine off there’s an au revoir note like on some washing machines. All of these bells and whistles are not for me, I like simple – so does my wife – that’s why she married me!
If you dare to listen to the radio when the engine is off, a warning message soon appears on the dash stating that the battery is running out. This is always very frustrating. In older, smaller cars it’s possible to listen to the radio for quarter of an hour or more without fear of draining the battery. That’s progress for you.
It’s a large vehicle and easily accommodates the five of us. We think it will be a nice gesture to offer to take Grandma for a drive because we haven’t normally got room. But she’s too tired. Then when we visit Grandpa, he’s not fit enough, so in the end we’re unable to carry more than the usual five of us, which is a pity but never mind. Such is life.
The full-length panoramic glass roof incorporating an electric tilt/slide sunroof certainly makes the dark cabin lighter. What a great addition for a hot summer’s day. I can only dream.
Being such a large vehicle it is a little awkward to reverse at times but generally the camera helps, unless heavy rain obscures the vision.
An easy-to-use six-speed automatic unit is fitted to this vehicle and to engage it’s simply a matter of turning the dial and selecting D for drive or R for reverse. There’s little skill required in driving such a vehicle although its size can make negotiating parked cars a little challenging when driving down a B-road. In economy mode it is prone to lethargy when leaving traffic lights but if more stealth is required then select a different mode. There are paddleshifts either side of the steering wheel for more engaging driving, too.
Overall, we all like the Sorento.
Facts at a glance
Honda Civic eHev
Strong build quality has always been associated with Honda and the same is certainly true of the new Civic, which I really do enjoy driving. Low to the ground the two-litre injection eHev sports hatchback is nicely responsive. Although nought to sixty is achieved in a shade under eight seconds it feels so much faster thanks to being so close to the road, and while it will only reach 111mph top speed, it feels as if it could go on and on.
This model is a hybrid so at speeds of 31mph or lower electric vehicle mode automatically kicks in and it crawls down the road noiselessly. No matter how demanding the driver of this car is, it seems to return at least 48mpg.
The test model is finished in white and the black wheels are a pleasing contrast. This new Civic differs from its predecessor by having rounded off edges - an improvement and particularly effective on the boot, I feel. That boot would certainly take a lot of luggage, too.
My parents had a new Civic back in 1978 when I was born and it’s interesting to see how the design has evolved. Back then it was a small attractively designed hatchback. Today, like everything else in this world it has grown and is now probably almost twice as large, the engine still taking up a similar chunk of space to the original in terms of design ratio. Inside there’s a good amount of space for all occupants and it’s comfortable.
We all appreciate the way the honeycomb design from the grille is incorporated on the dashboard for the air vents. There are appealing joystick type levers to operate these air vents as well. I like the windscreen wipers and the way the water jets are attached to the wipers rather than being fixed on the bonnet as is often the case. The leather steering wheel is luxurious and the radio picks up those '80s tunes we all like so much. My only concern is the external door handles. They look too complicated and when you pull one to open a door you can see the greased mechanism, which isn’t great. I also question how safe this design is for children or indeed tired adults’ fingers.
I take the Civic on trips to Salisbury and Basingstoke and it never fails to please. There’s been severe flooding from the previous night’s downpour and as I approach a roundabout it's necessary to go into the fast lane to manoeuvre around a deep puddle. Wet roads do mean that this front wheel drive Honda suffers from wheel spin if the driver is too heavy on that accelerator, which can be unsettling when entering a busy main road.
On a dry, straight, traffic free road, the Honda really comes into its own and the driver cannot help but smile as the engine works effortlessly away delivering a slight roar as it travels smoothly through the gears. Like so many cars these days it is automatic but there are paddle shifts. My preference would be a five or six speed manual, which would deliver an excellent driving experience I am sure.
So much about life at the moment reminds me of traipsing through treacle and driving on Britain’s roads is no less challenging, especially when the weather’s bad. We’re due at the theatre for a matinee performance and I just can’t get my unhelpful family out of the door much before one, which I know is cutting it really fine. Slow traffic hampers us and a couple of junctions being shut on the M3 don’t help either. We arrive at just after quarter to two and then have to run like billy-o, arriving with only a couple of minutes to spare. That’s a surprise I can tell you.
Nissan Juke hybrid
By Tim Saunders
I’m a great fan of hybrids. So, naturally I like the Nissan Juke SUV finished in striking two-tone metallic blue with a pearl black roof. With today's inflated fuel prices not helped by Saudi Arabia and Russia cutting back on production – it’s just like living in the 1970s I am told – the need for efficient vehicles has never been higher. For me hybrids are kinder on the pocket and lifestyle than electric vehicles. They’re certainly more user-friendly for a busy family and they promote careful, sensible driving, which I am all for.
What I particularly enjoy about this hybrid is that it will drive a good mile in EV mode at 30mph. I find myself increasingly being forced to drive at this speed or below either due to sheer weight of traffic or by being in such a zone. Quite often EV mode will kick in on its own but on other occasions it doesn’t making it is necessary for me to reach over to the centre of the dash to push the EV button. You do have to have driven quite a distance using your precious petrol before being able to drive a reasonable distance on EV mode but this is to be expected. My particular joy is engaging EV mode while crawling past a petrol station, it gives me an immense sense of well-being as I note the exorbitant prices they dare to charge, boosting their profits. They are by no means on their own, there is an eye-watering level of profiteering going on all around us during this cost of living crisis – Santander has reported a £1.9bn profit for just three months… I find this world very difficult to live in at the moment. Don’t worry this is not a suicide note but I am angered with our society of followers with its peer pressure coupled with the government’s lackadaisical approach to everything but war, which is always good for the nation’s coffers.
I take the family on a jaunt to Winchester and the heavens open. There’s lots of surface water about but nothing like what those in the north and Scotland have had to contend with. Driving such an SUV is quite reassuring in such conditions because of the raised height when going through deep water. Road handling is good, too.
Inside it’s comfy. We like the supportive seats and the hint of suede around the black leather – there’s luxurious suede on the dash, too. At night a strip of light projects from behind the inside of the door panel, which provides a futuristic touch.
There’s a push button start and it’s an automatic so little thought is required for the driver. The reversing camera is useful although the pouring rain blurs the screen meaning that I cannot rely on it to reverse park. In the cold wet weather the windscreen mists up so it is necessary to keep the demisters on. The back is big enough for our three children and there’s a good size boot. There’s air conditioning and a great radio with Bose speakers built into the edge of the front seats, which I haven’t seen before. That radio allows us to listen to our favourite ‘80s music station. Ah, now there was a period when some great things happened and technology was not such a threat.
Toyota bz4X
By Tim Saunders
Is it sensible to drive a large luxurious electric vehicle during a climate emergency? This is the question I ponder while behind the wheel of the Toyota bz4X.
As continuing frightening weather events such as boiling oceans and floods persist, the whole idea of the electric vehicle requiring so much energy to build and to charge seems increasingly nonsensical.
I have to keep reminding myself that the bz4X is a luxury vehicle and therefore drivers having spent over £45,000, demand a certain level of comfort. They want their driver’s seat to move forward automatically when they push the start button. They will enjoy using the cumbersome power boot lid, the electric windows, the air conditioning, the heated seats and steering wheel. But the point is that they are not in fact helping the environment by indulging in these luxuries. In my book, cars must be treated like an article or a work of art. “Cut the crap,” was a slightly more polite phrase coined by my news editor. Nothing more relevant here. Compromise is necessary if we are to reverse our dreadful impact on Mother Earth. Being blunt these luxuries are completely unnecessary and should be removed. Ah, but this is a top-of-the-range vehicle, I hear you reminding me. Point taken and I simply cannot see a market for a car like this any more no matter how it is powered. This obese car looks and feels like a larger Lexus. It’s bigger than most petrol and diesel vehicles I drive, which in this day and age, doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
Inside, it’s pleasant enough but try as I might I can’t find a glovebox and I do like one of those. It’s comfortable enough while the boot is sizeable, easily swallowing a massive bag of rabbit pellets and eating hay. However, I also find the size of the wing mirrors are way too large and in fact obscure my vision when I look to my right.
I do believe that car manufacturers could make truly efficient vehicles if they wanted to, the technology is there. I see the way forward being small, lightweight vehicles that will travel four or five hundred miles on a full charge. Look back to the Sinclair C5 for inspiration.
Why do manufacturers feel it necessary to go large and luxurious? Bigger is not better. Reduce the size and remove anything unnecessary and I think there might be a vehicle worth considering. The environmentally conscious motorist will happily drive without environmentally unfriendly air conditioning, just give them a manually operated sunroof and wind up windows – nothing wrong with that, it helps use those oft forgotten muscles, too... They don’t need electrically adjustable and heated seats either. Neither do they need a heated steering wheel, they’ll happily wear gloves.
“You’re meant to get just over 300 miles from a full charge but it’s 88 per cent charged and you’ll need to leave about 40 per cent of that for the driver to collect it,” I’m told as bz4X is delivered. “I recommend driving it locally.”
This presents me with a conundrum. What car should I take on my weekend away to Dorset? Knoll House Hotel in Studland is 62.5 miles away from home, meaning that a return trip is 125 miles. I then find that some have only managed 190 miles from a fully charged bz4X. After a conflab with my wife, we agree we’ll take her 2002 plate Corsa because that way we can relax and not worry about whether we’ll make it home. (And I’m very glad I made this decision because the traffic is horrendous and we get lost on the way due to the sat nav insisting that we take a toll ferry and we don’t want to so we end up going via Wareham, all of which means that if we had taken the Toyota we wouldn’t have actually had a holiday…).
Up until earlier this year green warrior friends of my daughters had a couple of electric cars. They’ve sold them and bought hybrids. What does that tell you? There isn’t the infrastructure to support these vehicles and charging from home is even more expensive especially in a cost of living crisis.
This Toyota is not targeted at someone like me but instead a much older cash rich motorist with plenty of time on their hands to drive slowly and to queue to charge at one of those rare allegedly cheaper public charging points. (I didn’t spot any electric charging points in the Purbecks in Dorset so good luck with that).
I drive to Fareham and back, a total journey of 12.4 miles. As we start there is a range of 204 miles. When we return home it has dropped like a rock to 184 miles. The Nissan Leaf did just the same to me over three years ago. Why am I feeling that we haven’t advanced at all during this time? What’s more I have been travelling in 30mph zones for the entire time so I am shocked at this dreadful performance. I’m very glad I did make this short journey because it has confirmed that I cannot venture very far from home in it without fretting about recharging, which I won’t because I haven’t got the time. It’s comfortable enough to drive and the seats are supportive but I find the all black interior quite dull – it really could benefit from a glass roof. I find the interior quite clinical really, I can’t say there’s any character to it. So this unnervingly silent vehicle (apart from the irritating bleeps that keep going off when I’m driving) is okay for the school run and any other local trips, no more than twenty or thirty miles away but that’s all really. For me it is too large a vehicle and needs to be reduced in size; it’s like a reflection of society...
Frustrated I Google ‘water powered car’ and see that in 2022 the MH2 Matador hydrogen powered car was constructed in Slovakia. Then I find groundbreaking news of Toyota’s new hydrogen powered pick-up that will be made in the UK. Hallelujah! That’s more like it, that’s the future in my mind, not electric. Hydrogen, a naturally occurring gas that is also the most abundant element in the universe, is the way forward because it only emits water when it is burned. I hear you say, "Bit what about rising water levels and flooding?" Well, perhaps such vehicles might have to be limited or driven just in the summer when there are droughts but in my mind they are far better than electric. Toyota confirms how user-friendly hydrogen is too. “Hydrogen-powered vehicles don't need charging like an electric vehicle. You refuel them with hydrogen gas, pumped in the same safe and convenient way you would a conventional petrol or diesel car. Filling up takes the same amount of time too, between three and five minutes for a full tank.” The government should be investing in hydrogen stations not electric charging points. As of March 2023 there were 15 hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK compared to over 48,000 public electric charging points and 8,365 petrol stations.
But this isn’t a problem because Honda for instance has developed a home hydrogen refuelling system that can also power a home. Now that’s fantastic. Can’t wait until this is affordable and becomes available in the UK. That’s the future.
