Category: Car Tests

We drove the Audi Q4 e-tron: the magic of electrified four rings…

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My love affair with the Audi’s goes a (very) long way. The first one I drove, when I was a young law student, was the Audi 50.  It was a test car, for the car column of the weekly illustration magazine “De Post”, where my father was editor in chief. I vividly remember this “mini Audi”, nimble, vivid, well styled with a fake wood finished dashboard as a touch of luxury. It was developed as early as 1970, when the engineers at Audi NSU Auto Union AG started work on the project, spearheaded by Chief Technical Officer Ludwig Kraus, (who had developed earlier also the Audi 100, which established Audi as a premium brand.)

My father and I found it a vivid and wonderful car. Light it was, the NSU engineers in Neckarsulm, where the car was initially developed, knew everything about “Leichtbau”, or the art of making light cars. This car was also to become the first… VW Polo, rolling off the Wolfsburg production lines in March 1975. The Audi bug continued: I personally owned for many years an automatic Audi 80 S, and yes, I presently own an A5 Cabrio, designed by Walter Da Silva, a beauty with – of course- an Audi Exclusiv leather interior.

But let’s now turn to the present electric age, behind the wheel in the stylish cabin of the face lifted Q4 e-tron. Just read further!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Facelift brings more for the eye and improved efficiency and range…

The Q4 e-tron was launched in 2021, and for this bestseller, it was time for a facelift. The grille is now color matched, it carries new LED lights front and rear, and in the superbly designed cabin you can now optionally enjoy  a third screen exclusively for the passenger. It also gets an improved version of the permanently excited synchronous motor driving the rear wheels. Better battery efficiency, faster charging, and bi-directional capability. Read more below…

Indeed, externally the car really looks attractive. We like the color match of the grille, with the The S line variant adding  vertical blades in Selenite silver matte to the corners of the front and rear bumpers. The whole car looks elegant and also muscular. We love it from every angle, and we liked also the 5 spoke “aero” alloy wheels on our test car.

Interior: stylish panache…

The designers brought true Audi panache into the redesign of the dashboard. It impresses with fit and finish, and gives you this unmistakable premium “Audi” feel. We like the matte aluminum inserts. Its centerpiece is the panoramic display, pairing an 11.9″ instrument cluster and a 12.8″ MMI touch display with large tiles for a quick overview of features and services. Indeed, for the first time in this segment, an optional 12″ passenger display is also available – the largest ever in an Audi, featuring a customizable standby design.

Our test car came with an optional augmented reality head-up display. This projects information onto the windshield in two layers: in the upper layer, turn arrows from the navigation system, starting points and destinations, and prompts from selected assist systems appear in the appropriate position on top of the real environment. Below this, the status layer shows speed, traffic signs, and assistance and navigation icons, visually placed around three meters ahead of the driver. Wonderful and intuitive…

There are four easily accessible charging options for smartphones: two cooled inductive charging trays (up to 15 watts each) and two USB-C ports under the center armrest.

Driving: comfortable and sporting

Our test car came in the 210 kW performance version, and this is synonymous with brilliant performance. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6,6 seconds, and top speed is limited to 180 km/h. But the beauty lies of course in the whisper smoothness of how all this power is delivered.

The Q4 offers you the choice of several driving modes, and we chose most of the time the balanced mode, which is an ideal mix between comfort and sportiness. We enjoyed also the three regeneration modes, but were also truly impressed by the “auto” mode, which is fed by navigation and sensors monitoring surrounding traffic.

Besides, our test car came with the Adaptive driving assistant plus is available for additional convenience – it helps with acceleration, braking, maintaining speed and distance, and lane guidance. It works ever so smoothly, gently coasting wherever possible when you lift your right foot, and smoothly slowing down to a full stop when the vehicle ahead does so too.

It makes city driving a wonderfully relaxing affair. Our test car came with a superb Sonos audio system, and you can imagine how I enjoyed every minute behind the wheel.

The comfort of the Q4 is outstanding, also the standard sport seats deserve an accolade. Besides boulevard driving and motorway trips in “comfort” mode, the Audi lives also up to its iconic tradition of sportiness. You can really have a go on winding roads. The steering is precise, the point of gravity is quite low with the big 82 kWh battery sitting quite deep in the MEB electric platform that is also used for the VW ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq.

This means that the Q4 holds the road really well… We also found it quite nimble in town and narrow streets. Of course, the surround view camera’s help when manoeuvring in tight parking spaces, and parking alongside kerbs.

Consumption depends of course on your driving style, weather conditions, you name it. The manufacturer quotes a range of up to 578 km with a combined consumption between 18,4 and 15,6 kWh/100 km, which proved indeed quite realistic and achievable.

The Audi Q4 e-tron is the first Audi with bidirectional charging. With Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), the car directly powers electric devices. It does so via a domestic power socket in the trunk (providing continuous power of 2.3 kW at 230 V AC) or an optional adapter on the side charging port with a domestic power socket (2.3 kW) or a camping power socket (3.6 kW). Ideal for your electric mountain bike!

The DC charging capacity of the 82 kWh battery in the Audi Q4 SUV4 performance increases from 175 kW to up to 185 kW – charging from 10 to 80 percent at a fast-charging station in just 27 minutes. Up to 185 km of range can be added in ten minutes…

The luggace space is quite good, with 520 litres seats up and 1,490 litres seats down. There is  a compartment underneath the floor in which you can tuck away the charging cables.

Infotainment: versatile and state of the art…

We were also impressed by the quality and layout of the information we got on the touchscreens in front of the driver and in the centre of the dashboard. Chrystal clear maps, superb navigation, clear layout of functions and apps to choose from on the central screen, with functions like for instance the choice  between different “ambiance” moods.

So for example your display will show a forest picture with soothing music when you take a power nap… Of course, you can adjust your optional Sonos system also and choose between concert, lounge, neutral and podcast sound setups…

We liked also the simple and clean controls on the central console: intuitive and to the point.

Conclusion

The Q4 hits the mark again, offering an ideal combination  between style, size, practicality, build quality, performance and efficiency.

It looks very good, has wonderful colour combinations, exudes the unmistakable  Audi panache and aura. It comes with quite a few power combinations, starting with a 150 kW e-motor at the rear wheels and a 63 kW battery, up to a 250 kW and the 82 kWh battery for the top Quattro version. But the performance version we drove was (already) truly impressive…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes: We used here again our Fujifilm Finepix FinePix S100FS, and despite the fact that its design dates back to 2008, now almost two decades ago, it still delivers absolutely professional results.

Of course, the definition of the electronic viewfinder as well as the bigger foldable screen is not up to present standards, but the actual sensor and the Fujinon 28-400 mm (35 mm equivalent) lens really mean business. Note that the photos you see here are compressed to cope with the website technical requirements…so the original photos are still more detailed. Remember, I bought this versatile camera used some years ago for just 59 Euros… The photo of the camera here above is taken with my Xiaomi smartphone.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Driving the Renault R4 E-Tech: an electrifying icon…

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I have always been very fond of the original R4, which was my dream car when I was a university law student. I found its concept to be an absolute stroke of genius, with its front wheel drive, comfortable suspension, roominess, practicality. I was a total fan of the elegant “Parisienne” version; alas, I never owned one, as even as second hand it was still far too expensive for me.

So French ingenuity escaped me. And, as a matter of fact, I have never driven this original R4. Needless to say that now I was truly delighted to get behind the wheel of its present day successor. Electric it is, this Renault 4, and you will never ever hear the throb of an efficient 4 cylinder coming from under its bonnet. Indeed, Renault launched last year this new retro trend of the iconic R5 and the R4, responding to the obligation by the EU to fully electrify its whole range by 2035.

Technically (almost) identical to the Renault 5…

Renault uses its AmpR Small platform for both cars, and we enjoyed already its exceptional qualities in our test of the “Cinq” E-tech, which you can also read in our columns. But the R4 is actually quite a lot bigger, one could indeed say it is a compact SUV. It is 22 cm longer, 3 cm wider even and also 5 cm taller.

When you get behind the wheel, everything looks absolutely familiar: its dashboard and the whole front of the cabin is strictly identical to the R5. The same goes for engine and batteries: like in the five, you can choose between 120 HP and a 40 kWh battery or 150 HP and a 52 kW battery for the higher versions, being the “Techno” and the “Iconic”.  We tested the 150 HP Iconic Comfort range, which in Belgium comes at a price of 37.100 Euros.

Driving

Once you stepped in the taller “Quatre”, you find the same good driving qualities of the R5. The suspension is made even a bit softer, making the car feel a touch less agile and it is indeed rather inviting you to adopt a more restful driving style. But the excellent stability and cornering power is there for course for you to enjoy if you want…certainly when you choose the “Sport” mode with the multi-sense button on the steering wheel.

The 150 HP motor gives you enough punch to put a smile on your face: the R4 will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a fast 8,2 seconds, the 120 HP version will do it in a still very creditable 9,2 seconds. The top speed for both power versions is limited to 150 km/h.

The other difference is that now you have two small paddles at the steering wheel which let you choose the level of energy recuperation. If you press the left paddle even more, you activate the “One Pedal” mode. It will also come soon also on the R5, by the way.

The R4 is also, like its sister, well at home on the autoroute. Sound insulation is excellent, as is seating position and overall comfort. The cruise control is intuitive to use, and on our trips we enjoyed the wonderful sound qualities of the optional Harmann Kardon sound system with 9 speakers. Lover of Jazz, Opera and classical music, you can imagine how I enjoyed all this.

The semi-autonomous driving system is also standard on this Iconic version, and indeed it works very smoothly and we wouldn’t want to miss it on our trips.  

Infotainment

The R4 comes with Google software, and we very much liked that the Google maps function is permanently installed, so it is not necessary to hook up your phone via Android Auto or Apple Car Play. You can speak to a cute blue and yellow lozenge shaped avatar driven by ChatGPT, and he will lower the windows for you, find the proper charging spot on your trip or set the ventilation. From the Techno version upwards the Google navigation also includes a charging point planner, and indeed, when travelling from Holland on the way home it did not indicate straight away our home address, but first the point where we could recharge the battery in order to cover the further distance to our destination.

We also liked the row of analog physical touches below the central touchscreen for those essential functions for ventilation, heating, defrosting, Air-co, choosing cabin temperature.

Spacious and practical…

The R4 offers (a lot) more than the R5 when it comes to extra space for the rear passengers and their luggage. Indeed, the wheelbase has been stretched by not less than 8 centimeters, we already told you that the R4 is not less than 22 cm longer. The rear seats are improved and have a thicker upholstery, there is more space in the door bins, and last but not least there is now a lot more headroom. There are two type C USB slots for the (young) rear passengers, invariably social media aficionados…

The boot space went now from 277 in the R5 to some 339 liters. The Harmann Kardon sound system takes unfortunately some of the underfloor space, but there is enough room to tuck away the charging cables.  The load sill is pleasantly low, merely 16 cm.  Good to know that also the front passenger can be folded down, so these long (up to 2,2 meters) IKEA panels can safely be brought home…

Consumption, charging and range…

According to WLTP, the R4 in the 150 HP version has an average consumption of 15,1 kWh/100 km. We easily achieved this during our test. The WLTP range is set according to the manufacturer at 409 km.

On the motorway or “Autoroute”, consumption tends to rise slightly above 20 kWh/100 km, and in practice the range then drops on these faster trips. If you want to stick to the 15,1 kWh/100 km average, you have to cruise at 95-100 km/h on the motorway…which is indeed marvellously relaxing with Chopin Nocturnes soothing your ears through the 9 speakers of the Harmann Kardon sound system.

We put the R4 on a CCS(DC) charger and charged the battery at an rate of 82 kW/h.

On the “Iconic” top version we tested, bi-directional charging is standard, and you can hook an electrical appliance up to your R4, to a maximum of 3,700 W or put the energy back to you home system to reduce your energy bill…

Conclusion

The R4 convinced us with its comfort, space, driving pleasure, its iconic aura with some retro-styled very charming aspects in cabin, dashboard and exterior details. It is also a wonderful car to take on a longer journey, the driving assistance systems are smooth and pleasant. The comfortable suspension and its higher stance make it also an ideal companion on remote country roads and add to its go-anywhere character of the original “RQuatre”.

The price is certainly in line with what the market wants for a full electric compact SUV nowadays.  

The range is adequate, you are helped by the navigation and infotainment systems to find the charging spots on your route effortlessly, and yes, Renault is working on still longer range versions of both R4 and R5…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photogapher’s notes:

Also for this test I used the Fujifilm FinePix S100FS. Using its standard settings, the S100FS shows a pretty respectable 9.2 stops of dynamic range in total. But there is more. Unusually for a non-SLR, the Fuji has the option to ‘boost’ its dynamic range by one or two stops (marked as 200 or 400%). Not bad for a second hand camera for the price of a restaurant lunch!

We drove the Lancia Ypsilon Ibrida: combining character and panache with economy..

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The Lancia Ypsilon has pleased us already when we drove it in the all electric version, but of course we were also curious to drive it with a  trusted combustion engine combined with electric propulsion: the Ibrida.
Indeed, this version has the well known 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit producing 100 hp, paired with a 21 kW electric motor integrated into a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, for a combined system power of 110 hp or 81 kW and 205 Nm of torque. Technically it’s a mid-hybrid—halfway between mild and full hybrid, although the manufacturer dubs it as a mild hybrid.

The Ypsilon hybrid system runs on 48 Volts, and the battery is very small indeed, 0,43 Kwh.
It performs well, but in town it needs a very sensitive right foot and a very smooth driving style to reveal the qualities of its hybrid system and take full advantage of it. More about all this further below.

Design: Distinctive and elegant.

The new Ypsilon certainly attracts attention, and not only from connoisseurs. Of course, part of that is rarity—you don’t see many about—but credit also goes to its genuinely successful styling. The illuminated front signature is modern and distinctive, while the rear respectfully channels the brand’s historic design language: circular LED lights with a “Y” motif inside, a nod to the iconic rally and racing Lancias. 

Also deserving praise are the modern wheel designs, the rear door handle, which some might find awkward to use, but we liked it.

Interior: Original and comfortable

The new Ypsilon measures 4.08 metres and seduces with an original cabin. Bronze accents, a well-drawn dashboard, and comfortable, beautifully upholstered alcantara seats create an upmarket, premium ambience. We liked the tasteful patterns on the dashboard panels, the bronze finishes of ventilation openings and the surrounds of the elegant centrally placed “tavola”.

Highlights include the digital instrument cluster and a large central display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment, is ok, with a physical “L” button, summoning a shortcut screen with all the main functions, we found a good idea.

Indeed, a central “table” separates the front seats and serves as a rest for objects, a wallet, or a phone. It is a hallmark of the car’s cabin, and we  think it’s brilliant.

On the road with the Ypsilon Ibrida: full of panache, but needs a delicate experienced hand (or rather foot) in town…

The car DOES run on electric power alone, and when you drive with anticipation and a very smooth right foot, maintaining constant speeds, it is very well possible to drive your town trip for up to 79 % on electric power. When you drive/coast at small throttle openings, the transition between the engine and battery power is smooth and imperceptible.  However, when you push the accelerator pedal more deeply, the 3-cylinder petrol engine makes its torque immediately felt when it sets in.

The photo below amply shows what we mean: we drove the Ypsilon for almost half an our over 6 kilometers in very congested urban traffic, which resulted in a consumption of 5,5 liter/100 km and not less than 79% of the distance being driven under silent and silky smooth E-power. It is the Lancia art of driving, we would say, and it is very refined and also quite rewarding not only for your wallet!

According to WLTP standards, the combined fuel consumption is between 4.5 – 4.6 L/100 km. Indeed, we succeeded on a smooth Sunday drive on country roads to achieve an average consumption of 4,1 liters/100 km. Our average consumption hovered between 5 and 6 litres/100 km. CO2 Emissions, according to WLTP, are between 102 – 105 g/km (varies by trim/wheels).

On the open road, the engine is virtually inaudible and silky smooth, which makes the car an excellent motorway cruiser, one of the best we found in the B segment, not in the least because or the Ypsilon’s very good sound insulation. Listening to the well performing sound system, we were able to hear every single note of Beethovens 4th piano concerto when cruising at the 120 kmh legal limit on the motorway. Overall performance leaves nothing to be desired. It will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in merely 9,3 seconds and the top speed is a good 190 km/h. Indeed, Lancia driving remains a sporting pleasure…

The six speed auto box is alert and smooth, and in Sport mode will hold the gears much longer, so you can enjoy the pleasant throb of the 3 cylinder engine.

When you lift the throttle and you drive with anticipation, it is well possible to accurately judge the amount of regeneration you get at any given speed, and one pedal driving is easy once you get the hang of it all..

Suspension: dynamic and comfortable

The suspension is well calibrated,  offers a very comfortable ride, combined with precise steering and good stability. In this respect, the Ypsilon scores very high indeed. It’s a delight to steer on winding roads, and yes, sporting pleasure is to be had…

Space and Practicality

With a  2.54-metre wheelbase, the Ypsilon offers decent front-seat room. In the back, a taller adult has sufficient legroom, but headroom is rather tight. Two USB-C ports are  a good thing, and the 352-litre boot is impressive.

State of the art driving assistance

On this front, there’s little to fault: a comprehensive, well-calibrated ADAS suite, with Lane Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Speed Limiter and an efficient parking Assist. We liked also the smoothness of the easy to use adaptive cruise control, and we used it very much indeed on our Belgian roads with draconian and often too restricted speed limits everywhere. Also the calibration of the steering  assistance is just right.

Conclusion

The new Lancia Ypsilon Ibrida convinces with pleasant styling and endearing driving manners. 



Within the Stellantis range, it offers a more personal alternative, and overall scores high in the B segment . Given a learning curve on how to understand and use the hybrid drive train, its driving smoothness and frugality is all yours to enjoy too…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes: the professional quality of Fujifilm bridge cameras…

The photos shot on this test are taken by my trusted Fujifilm FinePix S100FS, a camera which I bought second hand in 2022 for…59 Euros in totally pristine condition  (!). Its design dates back to…2008, and it is a so-called bridge camera with an excellent Fujinon 28-400 mm (35 mm equivalent) lens.

The fact is, Fuji took the design of its bridge cameras totally seriously, with a decent sensor size and a superb lens, with a delightfully smooth manual zoom command. You have understood it: this is a camera which delivers totally professional results, despite its age. Just have a look at the photos of our test car above, which are even reduced in size to adjust for web publication. The photos of the camera itself are shot with my Xiaomi smartphone and the photo of the dashboard with the urban consumption are taken with my Apple iPhone.

Back in 2008, FujiFilm had put its latest, eighth-generation, Super CCD HR technology into the S100FS. This uses octagonal photo-sites that are designed to maximize light collecting efficiency. This, combined with clever noise reduction algorithms, helped to produce excellent results still according to today’s standards, as you can admire here…As said, Fujifilm’s bridge cameras were – and still are –  of a totally different league…The second hand aftermarket did not discover this at the time I bought this camera, hence the purchase price for which you can only buy a lens shade...

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We drove the Xpeng G9: elegant high-tech from the far east…

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We told you already in our previous test of the Xpeng G6: in the midst of fast developing and competent Chinese car builders, a star is born with Xpeng.

We commented in our columns already about the technological expertise of the brand. It has already substantive corporate relationships with VW, as the Volkswagen group has a 5 % stake in Xpeng and works together with Xpeng in the development of platforms and automotive software. Porsche now also forms a CO2  pool with Xpeng. It left the VW EU emissions pool as Xpeng now sells more and more EV’s in Europe, and could gain regulatory credits from this deal. But now let’s turn to the G9.

Hans Knol ten Bensel


Premium status…

The G9 is a premium SUV in the upper middle class segment, alongside for instance the BMW X5. With its length of almost 4,9 meter, it looks impressive indeed. The G9 can be had below 60.000 Euros when you opt for the standard range version with a 78 kW battery. The long range version has a bigger battery of 98 kW and costs slightly more than 60.000 Euros. There is also a 550 HP performance version with 2 motors and 4WD, the formidable car we tested…

Indeed, the cabin impresses with space and high quality materials, with all the interior panels covered in softly padded artificial leather, giving clearly an upmarket impression.
The G9 offers indeed quite a lot of interior space. The front seats offer sufficient head and legroom for the tallest among us, and this goes also in the back. There too you will find ample head- and legroom. The angle of the rear backrests can be adjusted electronically.

The front passenger has also a massive touchscreen in front of her or him.
The luggage space is also abundant with 445 liters in standard form, with an extra 45 liters beneath the luggage floor. With all seats folded down, you have 1605 liters at your disposal. There is also a frunk of not less than 71 liters.

Screen time…

When it comes to touchscreens, the G9 offers the lot. There is a 15 inch central screen, and next to it for the front passenger there is another identical one. There also you can adjust ventilation or navigation, but of course you can also watch films.

Besides Android Auto and Apple Car play connections, your smart phone is also spoiled with a large charging pad on the centre console, and via the Xpeng-app oln your phone you can monitor and adjust the numerous car functions. You can even steer straightforward parking manoeuvres using your smart phone. Of course, the whole in car software system is kept up to date with over the air updates.

You will find hardly any physical knobs and controls in the cockpit, so the touchscreen is your friend, or enemy…Thankfully the menus are logical and don’t take a lot of time  to get acquainted with. For instance, you can adjust a lot, among other things in the chosen drive modes.

You can adjust the responsiveness and amount of the steering assistance level via your touchscreen…

Moving with a whisper

The G9 is silent. The drive train is all but inaudible, and road and wind noise are impressively insulated. The window glass is also thick and the wheel arches are textile covered. The Michelin Pilot V tyres have also a soft inner sound deadening layer.

The air suspension impresses too, delivering besides excellent comfort also decent surefootedness and stable handling. But the big G9 does not invite you to throw it around like a go cart. It is not meant to be, and we notice that in general, Chinese cars are in their setup rather geared towards a safety-oriented driving style, and this G9 is no exception to this rule.

Performance galore…

The base version displays with its 313 HP enough liveliness, and indeed a 0 to 100 km/h in 6,4 seconds satisfies also the most performance-hungry enthusiasts. In the Eco function, performance is reduced, but even then it will satisfy most. Top speed of all versions is limited to 200 km/h.
Xpeng offers for the G9 also a 4wd two-motor version, and with its 550 HP, it brings total super-car performance with a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a breathtaking 3,9 seconds. The aficionados must than choose for “sport” mode of course. As said, we drove this performance version, and it is very impressive to say the least.

Steering wheel response is something you can fine-tune to your wishes, and given the performance of our test car, you are wheel advised to do so.

An 800 V system made for fast charging.

Thanks to the 800 Volt architecture, the Xpeng G9 is built for fast charging in mind. Even the standard version accepts 260 kW, and on other versions up to 300 kW is possible. This means you can charge the battery from 10 to 80 pct in around 20 minutes, just enough to stretch your legs and grab a coffee on your holiday trip on the motorway.

Assisted driving adds comfort

The state of the art driving aids enhance the ease and comfort of this big G9. Sometimes, speed warning signals are a git too eager and frequent, but we expect that via the over the air updates  things will improve soon.

The Xpeng G9 is reasonably frugal, where of course much depends on your driving style. The manufacturer quotes 19,4 kWh/100 km for the standard version. The performance version uses 21,3 kWh according to WLTP norm. We managed with some restraint and anticipation to achieve averages between 18-19 kWh.
We mention here that all versions can tow 1,5 tonne, and that Xpeng offers a 7 year warranty or 160.000 km.

Conclusion

The G9 certainly offers premium looks, comfort, roominess and performance. The finish and quality of the materials is clearly premium too, and the equipment of this G9 leaves no further wishes open.
If you are in the market for a large E-SUV, then take a long, hard look at this sophisticated and elegant Xpeng…

Hans Knol ten Bensel 

We drove the Kia EV4: a star is born…

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The new Kia EV4 has many cards upon it s sleeve: very pleasing, extravagant styling, much room and an excellent range. It stands next to the EV3 in the showrooms, and one might ask why Kia launched two models in the same compact class, almost one after the other. Well, the EV4 was launched for all the very good extra  reasons, besides what the EV3 already offers..

The EV4 sits 8 centimetres lower, but more importantly, it’s 13 centimeters longer and has a longer wheelbase too, which means you have one of the biggest rear legrooms in its class.

There is also a limousine version, with an extra large luggage space under its stretched tailgate door, but it is rather the classic SUV version which is meant for our European public, and is therefore built in Slovakia.

The electric motor develops 150 kW, and drives the front wheels. You can choose between a 58,3 and a 81,4 kW battery, and this warrants you quite good ranges. On the smaller battery, you have a range of about 410 km, which is in itself a good average for its class. The bigger battery offers a range of close to 600 km, or let’s say at least 500 km under normal driving circumstances. The excellent aerodynamics of the EV4 make this possible: the Cw is merely 0,32 kW, and the car is lower too.

Driving

The EV4 is dynamic with a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in under 8 seconds, and top speed for both versions is around 170 km/h. The power is smooth and wonderfully progressive, and this results in a  quite enjoyable driving experience. It is indeed a joy to drive this Kia over winding and mountainous roads, where the steering could be somewhat more sensitive, but one has to admit that the chassis and suspension engineers had above all a “Zen” driving experience in mind. We have to admit that they achieved this admirably, as sound insulation is excellent, also at high motorway speeds.

Charging the Kia EV4 on a (public) AC point is only possible at a maximum of 11 kW, and DC fast charging is possible up to 128 kW for the larger battery, up to 100 kW for the smaller one. According to Kia, you can charge both batteries from 10 to 80 pct in about 30 minutes. Accord to WLTP standards, consumption is some 14,6 kW /100 km. Driving smoothly and with anticipation, it was well possible to achieve averages between 12-13 kW in town driving. The advantage of the bigger battery is that you can tow up to 1 tonne instead of 500 kg for the smaller one.

Of course, modern times let you use your smartphone the right way. Kia offers a smartphone app which lets you plan your route and send it to the car. It calculates the charging stops. The app also lets you open and start the car, and you can allow up to 15 persons to do the same…

Spacious

The  instrumentation and dashboard layout is virtually the same as in the EV3. The central touchscreen is seamlessly integrated with the drivers’ instrument display panel, and there are separate physical touches for ventilation and sound volume, which we liked very much.

The central armrest can fold away and holds also a useful storage space for all the things you might need for all your activities when waiting in the car when charging.

The cabin feels quite roomy, and there is ample leg- and headroom fore and aft. Luggage space is sufficient with a volume of 435 litres.

Infotainment and driving assistance up to scratch…

We live in modern digital times, and this shows of course in our cars. The Kia engineers did also a wonderful job, without going over the top with massive screens everywhere. We are, by the way, still amateurs of physical knobs and buttons for everyday things like sound and ventilation, and we still think the solution of a smart mouse as was adopted by Lexus years ago is the ideal one for the driver. No smudged screens, a much calmer hand to point at and select the functions than an erratic finger in a bouncing car. But this is of course subjective, and preferences can be – and mostly are – a very personal/individual thing.

But back to the EV4. It has virtually everything you could wish for, like distance parking, and you can order some extras like a head up display (we appreciated the one in our test car) and sound aficionados can opt for the formidable 8 speaker Harman/Kardon system.

Indeed, EVs are built for music lovers, as they are so silent; therefore, we always advise spending a good amount of money on a higher-end sound system.

Conclusion

The Kia EV4 has carved a nice niche in EV world: it looks cute and is with its lower profile refreshingly different from the traditional SUV brigade. It offers plenty of room nevertheless, and its range is also quite good to say the least. It responds well to spirited driving, and has a European, tout feeling behind the wheel. So take a long hard look at this one…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We drove the N°8: French savoir vivre on wheels…

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When premium French automaker DS Automobiles designs a flagship model, one can expect something very outstanding and unique. This is indeed the case with the N°8, a sleek coupé-SUV, elegant to look at from any angle. Indeed, this car has panache, and this makes it in our eyes truly stand out.

Because, let’s face it: what makes you choose an EV in this day and age? Personally, I would say, the one that scores on style and character. The N°8 has lots of it…

Of course, there is also range, recharging capacity, efficiency and last but not least, handling and comfort. These are also elements which determine your choice. But let’s admit, drivetrain smoothness and performance is what EV’s all have more or less nowadays, so this is in my eyes hardly a determining factor anymore.

So this N°8 scores high, just by looking at it. When I walked around the car and entered the stunning cabin, staring at the four spokes steering wheel, I felt like stepping into the world of Jules Verne, tasting this unique mix of French genius with Victorian age idiosyncrasy. Well done, I would say to the designers and the other people who conceived the model’s mission status and character of the N°8.


 

A coupé-SUV

Let’s start with the exterior. A timelessly good looking car will have ideal proportions. This is what Pinin Farina and Felice Mario Boano already told us some 70-80 years ago. Just have a look at Boano’s design of the Lancia Aurelia, the GT version and of course the Ferrari 250 GT Low Roof Berlinetta.

The DS Automobiles designers have learned their lessons. Impressive, clean and tall sides, a bold front and rear end, with elegant yet expressively styled horizontal and vertical light elements on the four edges of the car.

We also liked the dual tone paintwork, the aluminum accents and the matte, brushed lettering on the rear end. The large wheels (740 mm in diameter) give the car a unique stance. The elongated and tapered profile that is illustrated by a roof stretching down to the tailgate’s spoiler. Each part of the bodywork has also been scrutinized in the wind tunnel. Its Cx is only 0.24 and its SCx merely 0.64

A premium cabin

Touches of art déco, but with an unmistakable sense of elegance, this is what the eyes meet in the interior. The photo’s tell you the whole story. Just look at the receded dashboard panel, a central screen panel which – refreshingly – is not so enormously big and imposing. The smaller panel in front of you gives you the info which matters, and not more. The design of the odometer is inspired by the world of watchmaking. The readability of the battery charge indicator and the “power meter” take precedence.

Like an airline pilot of France Aéropostal, where instruments were few and readable, as you needed all your senses to fly, like Antoine de Saint Exupéry or Jean Mermoz, on the night routes over the desert and ocean. This is how you feel behind the X-shaped steering wheel, but not hearing the sound of the single 12 V Renault 12JA aircraft engine like these heroes, in their Latécoère 26. Just silence, as the electric motor of your DS is virtually inaudible.

The heroes I described here also flew in an open cockpit, and had no radio. Things have changed for us. Just have a look at the beautiful speakers close to you on the front sides of both doors, part of a premium Focal Electra sound system with 14 speakers, a 515watt amplifier, and custom acoustic tuning developed specifically for DS interiors. You can enjoy music in this EV, for sure.      

Then there are the wonderfully designed and sculpted seats. Inspired by the DS AERO SPORT LOUNGE concept, the seats have fully integrated head restraints. The front seats are massaging, cooled and heated. Need we say more? Well, close-up thermal comfort is enhanced by the DS NECK WARMER, a device that favors heating as close to the body as possible to enhance energy consumption. These neck warmers fitted into the backrests of the front seats are illuminated by a backlit DS logo with a crystal appearance.

The rear seat comfort is nothing else but superb. There is ample knee room, 84cm of headroom and backrests inclined at 30°, without compromising their 40/20/40 modularity. Cooled and heated seat bases and backrests complete the comfort.

Driving

When you start moving behind the wheel of a DS Automobile, the expectations are high. The N°8 fully meets them. Whatever version you choose, there is utter drive train smoothness and power. The DS N°8 uses the Stellantis Group’s STLA Medium platform. This has been optimized in length and width to accommodate batteries up to a capacity of 97.2 kWh.

DS N°8 is available with a choice of three 100 % electric drive trains developing 230 hp, 245 hp and 350 hp, the latter being fitted with two electric motors for four-wheel drive. All motors enjoy excess power that periodically gives an extra 30 hp to the FWD version – 260 hp, 35 hp to the FWD LONG RANGE version 280 bhp, and 25 bhp to the AWD LONG RANGE model 375 bhp.

Performance is more than adequate: even the 230hp version accelerates in merely 7.7s from 0 to 100 km/h. Top speed is a respectable 190 km/h. The 245hp version which has the larger 97.2 kWh battery has virtually the same performance, but rewards you with a bigger range. According to WLTP figures, the 245 HP version has a range of 750 km, instead of the 572 km of the “base” version. The 350 hp version has of course close to superpower performance, with an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5,4 seconds. The range of this AWD DS is 686 km.

Of course one can count on impeccable road manners and comfort. We found the DS quite responsive and tout, tending towards sportiness and it copes very well with a more enthusiastic driving style. Country roads can be driven with verve, and also in urban low speed traffic the N°8 feels well at home. Nevertheless, the steering feel is not too responsive, and car will not invite you to throw it around, but  lets you rather adopt  a comfortable, relaxed driving style. At high motorway speeds, the good road and tyre insulation as well as the sound deadening laminated glass keeps noise at bay, so you can enjoy the fantastic sound system and seat comfort.

DS N°8 is fitted as standard with DS ACTIVE SCAN SUSPENSION, a variable damping system linked to a camera positioned at the top of the windscreen. Supported by attitude sensors and 3 accelerometers, it analyses the road surface in a few milliseconds and transmits its information to a computer that acts on each wheel. Noblesse oblige, we would say again here.

Practical

Despite the coupe-SUV profile which makes the roof arch somewhat lower,  over the rear seats, but headroom is acceptable for most passengers. The floor of the car is rather high, and this raises your legs and knees a bit, reducing thigh support by the otherwise excellent rear seats. We enjoyed the clever thermal glass roof in the “Etoile” equipment version we tested.

Boot space is more than sufficient with 581 liters, and offers also a small under-floor compartment. When it comes to charging speed, it is worth to mention that the N° 8 features a 400-volt electrical system, and the maximum DC charging rate is  160kW.  This means that the 74kWh battery can be charged from 20-80 per cent capacity in 26 minutes, with the 97.2kWh pack taking just a minute longer to charge to the same amount. Note that EV Routing via DS IRIS SYSTEM 2.0 simplifies trip planning.

Conclusion
 

If you are looking for a refined car which truly stands out from the rest and which is a proud four wheeled statement of French refinement and savoir vivre, then this N°8 merits a long hard look.   

It is smooth and refined for eyes and senses, looks and drives beautifully, offering up to date practicality in its class. The N°8 soothes you with style and comfort, with performance and range to match, even in the base 230 HP version with the 74 kWh battery.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We drove the Xpeng G6: an elegant high-tech and comfortable performer…

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We told you in our columns already about the successful entry of Xpeng into our domestic Belgian car market, and we test here for you their stylish mid-sized electric coupé SUV, the G6.  

Introduced on our shores in 2024, the G6 has already undergone a facelift, where the most important news is the new 80.8 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, which replaces the former nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) unit.

This makes the G6 a true champion at the fast charging terminal: you can now charge it at an impressive 451kW. This means that this Xpeng G6 is built for the future, as at the moment of writing we still have to wait for such fast chargers to arrive in our country. But the fact that this allows you (in the future) to charge the battery from 10 to 80% in merely 12 minutes, is a strong (selling) point indeed. The new battery also means less use of expensive and less sustainable materials …

Spacious…

The G6 is not small, to say the least. Compared with the Skoda Enyaq, it is still a good 10 cm longer. It virtually is as wide and long as its important competitor, the Tesla Model Y. The interior space is indeed quite generous, also and even more so for the rear passengers: they enjoy ample leg- and headroom, despite the curving roof line and the coupe-like silhouette. The car also stands quite tall, and the designers have camouflaged this judiciously by putting the sills in a darker color.  One pleasant aspect is that you can… sleep in this G6, as the front seat backrest folds down horizontally and you can  remove the headrest. You can also install yourself neatly in the backseat, use the fully folded front seat as a footrest and have your laptop snugly installed on your stretched legs, and work comfortably…

…and some facelift details

The led headlight bar now runs fully over the front of the car, at the rear there is now a small duck tail spoiler. The car has now also a digital quite panoramic rear-view mirror, which is especially useful at night or when reversing in dark-lit areas. It can change back and forth to a “classic” mirror at the push of a button on its upper rim.

You can choose between 5 colors, and we liked the “stellar purple” of our test car. There is also an optional “black edition”, which is only offered for the time being on the 4WD 2- motor “performance” edition, which is the drivetrain of the car we tested.

An impressive platform with a drivetrain offered in 3 versions…

The G6 now uses Xpeng’s SEPA2.0 platform, with a chassis of aluminium and steel, reinforced by a stressed underfloor battery pack. The body is fully aluminium, the electrical architecture (with a silicon-carbide power inverter) runs on 800 V.

The model line up starts with the RWD standard range model, 252 HP with a 68,5 kW LFP battery. Then there is the Long Range model with a 297 HP motor and a 80,8 LFP battery. We drove, as said, the 4WD Performance model with 2 motors, 297 HP  + 190 HP (total 487 HP).

Superb performance, enjoyed in safety and comfort…

Needless to say that this “performance” edition is fast. Choose on the central screen among the available drive modes the “launch control” function, and then brace yourself. The G6 will take you from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,1 seconds. The suspension and chassis can handle all this power smoothly, and the Xpeng feels utterly stable at high speeds and also in fast corners, with some noticeable body roll however. Top speed is electronically limited to 202 km/h, wind and road noise are virtually absent at high cruising speeds.

The Xpeng is comfortable, but its body sways gently over long road irregularities and all this does rather invite you to adopt a more restful driving style, despite its excellent stability and performance. Remember, this is a heavy car that weighs over 2.2 tonnes.

You can adjust the steering “feel” and responsiveness via the central screen and it also changes in function of the chosen driving modes. It transmits adequately the road surfaces, but again does not invite you to do some sharp and fast cornering. Just enjoy the smoothness and comfort, this is what the Xpeng engineers clearly had in mind when fine tuning the steering and suspension. The comfort at boulevard speeds in the city is therefore admirable. The long wheelbase indeed also brings extra smoothness.

The brakes are eminently up to their task, and indeed the 20 inch wheels add to the overall safe handling of the G6. Of course the G6 has ESP and boasts among many driving aids, even hill descent control.

Indeed, for the manufacturer, safety is paramount.  Xpeng therefore installed its ‘full scenario’ XPilot 2.5 driver assistance technology package in the G6, which is made up of a network of 29 cameras, radar transceivers and ultrasonic sensors. Did you know that all the data output is then monitored and processed by a special Nvidia processor?

You see the result on the large central screen, which all the surrounding traffic, bikes and pedestrians clearly shown. Indeed, this is a car made by a high-tech company, and this results in a wonderful and restful experience behind the wheel. Driver assistance systems are there in abundance, from lane assistance coupled with adaptative cruise control to parking and a lot more, it is all there.

Within the plethora of 29 cameras, you also have a camera which monitors whether you keep your eyes on the road. Fortunately, you can control its sensitivity via a menu on the touchscreen, so it does not interfere overwhelmingly when driving.

Refined and elegant interior…

With the facelift, the G6 had its interior upgraded with better ambient lighting and improved panel finishes. We liked the large wooden panel spanning across the dashboard. Besides the large and eminently readable 15,6 inch central screen, there is also a so-called digital 10,25 inch dashboard screen in front of the driver, and this gives you all the essential information right in the line of your vision.

Both front seats are adjusted electronically, and you can (pre)program your ideal individual seating position. The nappa leather seats (reserved for this performance version) are not only heated, they also have a massage function…

The wide central console allows you to charge TWO phones simultaneously, with up to not less than 50 W charging power.  

Climate control is also top notch with automatic air conditioning and a heat pump;  

All the main functions of the car, like heating/ventilation, opening/closing, navigation can be controlled using a mobile app. There is also an “Hey XPENG” speech assistant: 4 zones (also from the rear seats) , full scenario with intelligent suggestions and advisory remarks. You have also an App Store connection for music, video, social media, etc.

When you change lane or take a right or left turn, a camera view flashes up in this screen to show any upcoming traffic in the chosen lane. Indeed, you are definitively spoiled with a wide array of high-tech safety features.

These is of course an excellent DAB/FM radio, using a 16 speaker XPENG XOPERA 2.0 Surround Sound System, with two speakers in the front seat headrests…classic music buffs as we are, we greatly enjoyed each trip…

All this to say that sitting behind the wheel of this Xpeng one definitely gets a premium feeling, not in the least because of the excellent finish and the quality of the materials used.  

There are a lot of practical storage possibilities in the cabin, and luggage space is also quite adequate with 571 liters (1374 liters with rear seat backrests folded).

And what about consumption and range?

We noticed during our test a usable practical range of some 370-400 kilometers, with a 60/40 mix of motorway and city driving. Of course, in winter driving the heating/ventilation systems take also their toll, and we find this range therefore quite reasonable for a 2,2 tonne 487 HP car. When driving with some restraint, a consumption between 17 and 20 kW per 100 km is quite realistic. The manufacturer quotes 18,4 kW/100 km, and announces a WLTP range of 510 km.

Conclusion

This Xpeng G6 ticks many boxes, certainly taking into account that it offers impressive value for money. At the moment of writing, this 4WD Performance version is available for 51.990 Euros, and as we said earlier, in this price range, there is no other car that offers this charging capacity. Add to this the stylish exterior, the elegant, roomy, and fully appointed cabin, the comfortable ride, and safety-oriented stability combined with excellent performance, and you will agree that this Xpeng G6 deserves a long hard look when you consider buying a mid-size SUV.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We drove the Mercedes 450e S Class: the pinnacle of luxury motoring…

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The Mercedes S-Class has been the benchmark of luxury limousine comfort since 1972. Now we are at the W223 series, and it is still unsurpassed in terms of comfort, workmanship, mechanical and electronic excellence, and last but not least, panache.

Our test car is the plug-in hybrid version of the S-Class, designated as the S 450 e. Furthermore, we drive the “L” or long version, which, of course gives you totally superb rear passenger comfort.
 

Don’t think that this imposing S Class version will be difficult to drive in town: thanks to the rear-axle steering (optional) the turning circle of the S-Class is reduced by up to two metres. The steering angle at the rear axle goes up to 10 degrees…The steering is also surprisingly direct: only 2 turns are needed to steer from full right to left.   

Stepping behind the wheel in this magnificent limousine will however still require some caution, certainly if you wear a hat. The a-pillar is  raked rather steeply for good aerodynamic reasons, but this means that you will still have to tilt your head slightly…

Once your are sitting down you are enveloped in superb somfort. The front seats have a 4 way back support, electronically adjusted, and of course there is a whole (optional) massage program waiting for you, just touch the “comfort” symbol on the large central control screen and you can choose your favorite session…

You can also opt for an active “multi-contour” package, which gives you extra lateral support when you are cornering at speed.
 The cabin bathes you in a wonderful light ambiance, which, of course you can adjust at will.

The instrumentation is clear, the immense screens both in front of the driver and the central screen are largely self-explanatory, although we would still suggest that you take some time to get acquainted with all its wonderful features.

Superb and ultra-refined performance…

The fourth generation of the hybrid drive celebrated its premiere in the S-Class in 2021. The present 450 e version has a 3 litre straight-six cylinder under the hood, developing 220 kW or 299 hp, combined with a rather powerful 110 kW or 150 hp electric motor. The battery is not enormous with 21,96 kWh, but powerful enough to give the 2,5 tonne “e” S-Class a range between 105 and 70 km.

:

You can calculate it for yourself on the simulator which you can find on the Mercedes website.

We show you it here in two screenshots: assuming 35 % of the trip made on the Autobahn, the electric only range with an outside temperature of 20° is 100 km, when the ambient temperature drops to 10°, the range drops to 77 km. Quite sufficient in our opinion to perform a daily commute on E-power…

You can charge the battery with a maximum power of 60 kW, and on an ordinary wallbox or public charging point (Max 20 kW on DC) you can charge the battery from 10 to 80 pct in merely 20 minutes.

The outright performance leaves nothing to be desired: this S-Class will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in merely 5,9 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

But the beauty lies of course, in the smooth way all this performance unfolds. The electric engine is totally inaudible, the 6 cylinder 3 litre engine is ideally balanced and vibrationless, and only a soft purr is heard when accelerating hard. The engine is mated to a smooth and alert 9G-TRONIC Plus automatic gearbox, which makes imperceptible gear changes. You have gearchange paddles at the steering wheel, but with 9 gears to choose from, one is soon overwhelmed… and we chose to let the clever gearbox do the work. The 9th gear allows very relaxed cruising at very low revs. At 120 km/h,  the engine exceeds barely 1500 rpm.

Consumption is, of course, very much in function of the battery status, or rather, whether you drive on e-power or not. The WLTP standard consumption is officially quoted at 2,4 l/100km. The manufacturer’s official figure for average e-consumption is 17,4 kWh/100km, which I find a rather more realistic indicator. On the open road, your flagship is still quite economical, due also to its excellent aerodynamics: it has a Cw coefficient of merely 0,22. When you drive at fast cruising speeds, the consumption hardly exceeds 11 l/100 km. Town driving will cost you around 10,5 l/100 km.

Floating carpet comfort…

The S-Class can be considered to be the ultimate standard in limousine driving comfort. It has standard an air suspension with adaptive dampers, and you can opt for E-Active body control, which keeps the car body stable even under very fast cornering. The suspension swallows any road irregularities totally smoothly and this even at very slow speeds, and one truly enjoys a “floating carpet” ride. You can choose between different suspension settings, but even in the “sport” mode the ride remains totally smooth.

Heating and ventilation are also in a class of its own. Two-zone airco is standard, but you can opt for four-zone airco. Of course the rear passengers are spoilt too. You can obtain all conceivable extras, from heated side panels to heated and ventilated seats fore and aft, dark window curtains at the rear; you name it..

Infotainment reaches into the stars…

Mercedes is quite proud of its MBUX infotainment system, and deservedly so. As we said above, the system is quite intuitive, provided you take the effort to study the system and carefully go through all the menus. The indications are chrystal clear and seen on a massive 12,8 inch central touchscreen.  

The sliding volume control for the superb Burmeister (31-speaker!) sound system takes some practice, but soon you become a master at it. You can also choose the instrument layout on the screen in front of you, and the overhead display of our test car was also eminently readable. You can also enjoy the optional augmented reality feature on this display, which shows you, with clearly visible arrows, which route to take…

This flagship Mercedes was updated last year, and has further optimized the MBUX user interface: suggestions for assisted parking are now located more intuitively in the menu. The Mercedes-Benz Automatic Lane Change (ALC) function now offers a further intelligent development: if a slower vehicle is traveling ahead, the car can initiate a lane change itself.

Indeed, if the radar recognizes sufficient open space and lane markings are detected, it can overtake the slower vehicle in front… fully automatically(!). The prerequisites are a motorway-like road with at least two lanes and a speed limit as well as a vehicle equipped with MBUX Navigation. The system does not require any further input from the driver to carry out the automatic lane change. Brave new world, we would say…

Let there be light…

The LED headlights are state of the art, with light shining in bends, combined with excellent long-range visibility with dynamic headlight assistant and extra powerful LED elements. The headlights shine up to a distance of … 650 meters (!).


 

The Long version of the 450 is as you can expect enormously spacious at the rear. But also in front there is enough head- and legroom for 2 metre tall adults. Boot space is of course also sufficient with 450 liters.
 
 Conclusion

The Mercedes S Class continues to be the absolute benchmark in luxury, mechanical and electronic perfection, comfort and sheer performance. Add to this the legendary quality seen in the perfect fit and quality of the materials used, and you know that this car is built for a lifetime of superb motoring.

Of course, all this doesn’t come cheap, even more so when you take into account the long list of optional extras.

But then, when one reaches the pinnacle of what a series production luxury saloon can embody and represent, it is still quite reasonable when compared with exotic supercars…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographer’s notes: I used for this test exclusively the Sony Alpha 5100 with the Zeiss Vario Tessar E 4/16-70 ZA OSS lens, again proving to be the ideal companion in difficult low light conditions. One exception, however, is the photo of the driver’s door under the blue ambient lighting. It was taken with our Xiaomi 11T smartphone at f/1.8, handheld at 1/9 sec, with ISO 7800. Proving again how formidable today’s smartphones have become. As the photo was taken in the darkness of an underground garage, we overexposed it 3,3 times using the “pro” mode on our phone to get details of the door and cabin surfaces. The photo below of our Sony camera with its Zeiss lens was also shot with our Xiaomi 11 T. F 1,8 at 1/60 sec with no exposure compensation.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We drove the Fiat Grande Panda Elettrica: EV driving with panache and style…

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Italy is the birthplace of style and elegance, and this Grande Panda truly shows it. We personally love it and both the exterior and cabin styling solutions have won our hearts. It truly stands out in character and practicality and shows many competitors how a compact B-segment car can also be designed and built.

The Grande Panda Elettrica runs on the Stellantis compact EV platform, which it shares with the Citroën C3 (Aircross) and Opel Corsa/Frontera.

It has a 44 kW battery, and a 83 kW/113 HP electric motor. Perfect for town driving, where the less ideal aerodynamic boxy bodywork doesn’t spoil the fun. This means that in town, a practical range of some 300 km is quite realistic.

On the open road and certainly on the motorway, you better have a somewhat lighter foot, as the wind resistance pushes the consumption higher into 18-19 kW/100 km, reducing the range below 220 km.

The engineers wisely limited the top speed to some 132 km/h, which is totally reasonable. Cruising around 110 km/h will get you around 250 km useable range. The WLTP consumption is quoted at 16,8 kW/100 km. Charging on an 11 kW charger will cost 4,5 hours from zero to a full battery.

The Grande Panda is very much in its element both in town and on the open road. It steers light and precise, is quite comfortable on city pavés and is also remarkably silent, also at speed.

The electric engine is smooth and inaudible, just a faint whirr is heard when it recuperates energy when slowing down. Wind and tyre roar increase with speed, but it never gets obtrusive.

A model of the original Panda, remembering the banked round curves of the famous “pista” on top of the iconic original Fiat factory in Turin…

Besides the silence and smoothness of the electric engine, one can also enjoy the zest and power offered by the 83 kW motor. It will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 11 seconds, but actually the intermediate accelerations tell you the whole story: accelerating from 60 to 100 km/h costs slightly over 6 seconds…

Handling is quite good and predictable. This Panda doesn’t mind to drive with speed on winding roads, with good motorway stability also guaranteed.
 

A pleasant cabin

So much for the driving part. Stepping into the car one enjoys the modern and stylish “ambiance” of the interior. Well done! We liked the styling elements and surface texture of the glove box, the square shaped ventilation openings, the layout of digital dashboard screen and the 10,25 inch centre screen. Everthing is simple, yet there is every information you will ever need.

Of course, no navigation is provided, so the apps on your phone will via Apple Car Play or Android Auto will have do the work. It also pays to have an app on your phone which shows charging stations…

There is plenty of room on the dashboard to put your stuff and the centre console has room for your phone. Two USB C slots are provided in front near the centre console.  

We liked the “Panda”lettering on the seats, and the front seats were pleasantly soft and comfortable. We were further seduced by the evident controls of heating and ventilation: three round knobs, which were a child’s play to use… When the battery is charged more than 30 pct, you can even pre-heat your Panda in the morning.

Also in the rear there is enough room for two rather tall adults.  The luggage space is also more than adequate with 361 liters, with the rear seat down this increases to 1315 liters. The charging cables have no separate space, so they occupy the boot…

Conclusion

If you are looking for a B segment car which stands out in style, then this Grande Panda is the one to look at. It offers enough room for four adults and their luggage, is a dream to drive in town and will let you tour through Europe in comfort.

Its personality will let you enjoy EV motoring, that’s for sure, and last but not least, the price will also make you smile…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes

The photos were taken in abysmal rainy and windy autumn weather, where a camera and lens which performs well in low light conditions is paramount. It also pays to have a chamois at hand to keep your camera and lens dry..

We used again our Sony Alpha 5100 with the Zeiss Vario Tessar E 4/16-70 ZA OSS lens, and it delivered again wonderfully with sharp photos having good contour contrast.

We used a second camera which is a long time favorite, the wonderfully compact and stylish Fujifilm X10, having a Fujinon aspherical lens, 7.1-28.4 mm, f. 2 to 2.8. This boils down to 28-112 mm for 35 mm equivalent. The large lens opening makes it an excellent candidate for low light situations. The sensor of the Fujifilm X10 is now 13 years old, and it is a 12 MP 2/3 CMOS X-TRANS I Sensor, but still holds its own wonderfully.

The desktop shot here of the X10 was taken with the Fujifilm Finepix S100FS Bridge Camera, with a 28-400 Fujinon zoom lens, which we bought used some years ago, for… 75 Euros (!). The handheld shot was taken at 1/40 sec, with f at 3,2, and sensitivity set at 800 ASA. The camera has, of course, image stabilization and an 11,1 MP sensor, which proves to be quite sufficient in many situations… We still think it is an impressive camera, considering also its massive zoom range and having also film simulation built in, letting you choose between Provia, Velvia and Soft and Portrait modes. On top of that you can choose between High, Mid and Low colour profiles and of course Black & White.

We drove the Renault 5 E-Tech: the automotive future now embraces its historic icons..

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Indeed Renault is looking back, but then only to inject its unique iconic true DNA into the cars it designs for the E-future. This is a clever strategy of this iconic French automaker. Indeed, in the roaring sixties and seventies, it did put cars on the road which continue to inspire several generations, and this right until this day.

Besides the ”4L” or charmingly called in the Gallic language ” la quatre elle” , there was the Renault 5, lovingly called “la Cinq”.

Another Renault icon is the starting blocks by the way, the new Twingo E-TECH, and all these new characterful cars are based on the same platform which Renault has developed for the new age of very efficient, compact and financially accessible EV’s.

Renault showed a prototype of its electric “5” already in 2021, and we are delighted to see that virtually all the styling elements of this project car are found back in the series production model.

The “5” is indeed an absolute pleasure to look at, it is wonderfully proportioned and stacked with delightful details.

Like the big letter “5” on the hood which gradually lights up when you charge the car, so you can  immediately see how far the battery is recharged. So cool!

The headlamps are also wonderfully styled, and accompanied by square led light patterns below them.

The rear lights are sculpted as on the legendary R5 Turbo. By the way, the power and panache of this Turbo classic is not much more in driving practice than the torque and immediate pulling power of the 150 HP electric motor of our test car. And then there is the 218 HP Alpine Version, which we hope to drive soon…

A wonderful cabin…

The fun continues in the cabin. We find here the typical square design style of the seventies, which is continued in the yellow colour and graphic patterns of the displays found in front of the driver and the centre.

The screens are quite practical after some obvious acquaintance, and we liked the extra row of physical knobs and controls for heating and ventilation below the panels.

We liked the seventies styling of the seats which are also comfortable and well adjustable. The driver seat is also height adjustable as standard. In the front there is is ample leg and headroom, at the rear the available space is only adequate for adults. But this is a (city) car for young (at heart) adults, so in the rear you will mostly find kids or grandchildren..

The boot space is more than adequate for this compact EV, with 255 liters under the luggage cover. There is no separate stowing space for the charger and cables, just a stylish bag is provided.
 

Rediscovering driving pleasure…with an EV.

This is where this Renault 5 E-Tech really stands out: it gives you TONS of driving pleasure behind the wheel. No small feat for an EV. Not in the least because it steers and handles like a dream. The steering is precise, the suspension is sporting but not too harsh, and it just LOVES winding roads.

The car is wonderfully agile, and when you steer it into corners with abandon, it will even oversteer, which is of course easily corrected. Just great. Straight line and high speed stability is excellent. Does this 5 inspire you always to a sporting driving style as a must?

Not at all, it is whisper quiet, and the excellent sound system (can be optionally equipped with a Harman Kardon sound system) lets you enjoy classical or your preferred music along the route. Wind and tyre noise are virtually absent and this makes the compact “Cinq” a car with the manners and driving refinement of a premium automobile. Fit for long journeys too!

With outstanding performance to match…

What about range and performance you will ask. Our test car was equipped with the 150 HP or 110 kW engine, and this means vigorous accelerations, considering that the weight of the 5 is reasonable with 1450 kg. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint is absolved in some 8 seconds, top speed is reasonably limited to 150 km/h.

The car with this engine version has a 52 kW battery, which results in a average range of some 350 km, based on a consumption of 17 kW/100 km. City driving will easily give you average consumptions around 13-14 kW, corresponding with a range of some 400 km. Brisk motorway driving will limit the range, as the boxy 5 E-Tech with a Cw value of 0,32 is not a champion in aerodynamics. Speed charging up to 100 kW is possible with the Cinq, so within a 30 minute coffee break the battery is easily recharged from 20 to 80 pct.
 

Up to date infotainment

Of course, noblesse oblige, in this day and age the 5 E-tech has Android Auto and Apple Carplay,  also handles voice commands over Google Assistant, offers two USB C connections. The navigation system is based on Google Maps. You can also plot your charging points en route. You can personalise the system via your Google account and of course you can be further informed about your car by using the Renault App. With over the air updates, your Renault can always be kept up to date…

Conclusion

This 5 E-Tech has the looks and offers you pleasure behind the wheel. It is indeed fun to drive and look at, and will also spoil you with the whispering silence of a premium car.

It is also well priced, and its timeless iconic shape will let you enjoy it for many years to come…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Photographers’ notes: the photos here are made again with our Sony Alpha 5100 with its F4 16-70 Zeiss lens, which produces punchy, sharp photos with rich contrast.

But we also used here a recently bought second hand 50 mm Canon EF F1,8 II lens, mounted here on our trusted EOS 1100 D Canon DSLR. It produced the detailed photos of dashboard screens and further bodywork details, creating an interesting bokeh due to its shallow depth of field at wide openings, yet being razor sharp and offering good contour contrast. The 50 mm lens is often overlooked, yet it is an excellent tool due to its luminosity, interesting bokeh and excellent sharpness…