Tough sums for buyers facing more hybrid and EV options
WE’RE constantly being told that the car industry is in a ‘transitional phase’ – and this issue holds the proof that we’re not being misled. From new EVs and facelifted ones (yes, already), to a first step towards electrification in the UK from Dacia and a 1,000bhp-plus twin test with V6 and V8 power, our pages show just how diverse the offerings really are right now.
It’s in small cars where we’re likely to see the most EV progress over the next 18 months. And our news section reflects that view, with a very early verdict on the eagerly awaited reborn Renault 5, and proof that VW ’s cheaper electric model has also started testing. It and the 5 are likely to play major roles in the glut of sub-£25,000 EVs coming our way by the middle of this decade.
As our test this week shows, though, while the combustion engine may be on borrowed time, there’s still plenty of scope for spectacular send-offs. I won’t spoil the verdict for you, but suffice to say that BMW ’s fabulous M3 Touring does not have things all its own way against the ultimate Jaguar SUV, the V8 F-Pace SVR.
Perhaps the best illustration of where the industry and many buyers are right now, though, is Dacia’s Jogger Hybrid. On the face of it, it looks as spectacular value as ever, with seven seats and a more efficient powertrain for less than £23k. And yet, as Sean Carson points out in his review, the new Hybrid’s biggest rival – and the car many will be cross-shopping it against – is the regular 1.0-litre petrol version of the same model, which comes in £50 per month cheaper on the same finance terms.
That’s the sort of maths that lots of us are doing right now – working out whether the premium for electrified cars can be made back by gains in fuel efficiency over two or three-year deals. In a way, it’s easier for those who can afford to commit to pure electric now or hang on to petrol performance for the hell of it. It’s those in the middle who are faced with the really tricky calculations.