Autocar magazine 2 January - on sale now
This week: Toyota GT86 successor detailed, Toyota GR Yaris prototype driven, new cars of 2020 and much more
Toyota and Subaru are again set to join forces to develop a next-generation Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ sports car, and are ramping up work on the model.
The Mk1 GT86 was no slouch but Autocar understands that the Mk2 will get a significant power boost over the outgoing version, generating perhaps as much as 255bhp.
From ties with Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division to Subaru’s powertrain input, the latest BRZ and its sister car are set to gain a raft of new features. We’ve got all the details in this week’s mag.
*ALSO IN THIS ISSUE*
In this week’s news section, Mazda continues to refine its electric vision, now ruling out a ‘big-battery’ EV. The Japanese firm reckons that these bigger battery cars are less environmentally friendly than even diesel-powered models, stacking its chips on smaller batteries for the future.
As strict new European CO2 targets loom, Jeep is also looking to cut back on emissions, considering a plug-in hybrid Wrangler and even an electric SUV. Elsewhere, the upcoming Cupra Formentor has been spied, looking virtually unchanged from the concept car shown at the 2018 Geneva motor show, while PSA and Fiat Chrysler confirm their industry-shaking merger, now formalised in a legally binding agreement.
We’ve also got the lowdown on Jaguar Land Rover’s acquisition of off-road Land Rover tuner Bowler, before capping the news section with an examination of the world’s largest car market - China - and our yearly round-up of the automotive industry’s winners and losers.
*Reviews*
The pick of this week’s first drives is the Toyota GR Yaris prototype. While a final judgement will have to wait until the production model, our tester found a fun, formidable machine which suggests a pleasing new addition to the hot hatch ranks.
Next, it’s the turn of the Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster, which offers a heady, if precarious, drive, before we step up into Jaguar’s F-Pace D300 Sport to find refinement and pulse-raising handling in equal measure.
In the road test, Volkswagen’s Grand California motorhome steps into the spotlight. A size bump and a classy ambience are obvious plus points, but do these come at the cost of some cleverness?
-*Features*-
To mark the first issue of 2020, we round-up the new metal that’s rolling out in the new year. There are new cars for everyone in this first year of a fresh decade, from the brawny and highly anticipated new Land Rover Defender to the next-gen hot hatches like the Corsa-e VXR.
Other cars coming into showrooms in 2020 include Jaguar’s electric-only XJ, several new hot Golfs and Lamborghini’s first hybrid, the Sian, which is also its fastest ever accelerating production car.
*Opinions*
Steve Cropley roars into the new year at the wheel of a Porsche Carrera, before listening to F1 reporter David Tremayne recount his almost fatally disastrous attempt to break the UK land speed record. Meanwhile, Matt Prior muses on the prospects of the city car - he’s not making any predictions, though.
-*Deals*-
Cheap-as-chips superminis are the name of the game for James Ruppert this week, Peugeot 206s and even an old Mercedes A-Class are a pittance to purchase and even less to run. In our nearly new buying guide, we set our sights on a spacey and practical Mk2 Volkswagen Tiguan, while the ever-attractive Mercedes SLK 55 AMG is the star of this week’s used guide.
*Where to buy*
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