Lotus Evora 414E driven

Don't get your hopes up - this isn't a new Lotus that you can wander into your local dealer and buy. Instead, the 414E range-extender is a glorified billboard for Lotus Engineering, with the sole purpose of showing off just how brilliant it is at developing new technologies. Mind you, some of this tech isn't too far removed from stuff we've already seen on forecourts.

The 414E has a small 1.2-litre petrol engine powering a set of batteries, which in turn feed into twin electric motors located either side of the gearbox. These motors effectively act like an ‘e-diff', so Lotus can control the torque going to each rear wheel. The petrol engine, which is Lotus's own design, isn't connected to the wheels in any way, which means it can run at a fixed speed (3,500rpm) for maximum efficiency. But there's the rub: the project might be jointly funded by the British Government, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan and various suppliers, and exist to prove that this technology is feasible, but - apart from that bespoke engine and the ‘e-diff' motors - it all feels a bit late to the party. We've already seen this stuff working well in GM's Vauxhall Ampera/Chevy Volt twins, for a start, not to mention cars like the Fisker Karma. And the results are similar, at least in part. Acceleration can feel slightly unnatural, because there's no change in the engine note as the speed continues to rise; the motor simply carries on thrumming away at the same rate - the electric motors are providing all the thrust at the wheels.

There's plenty of it, mind, a single-geared wall of torque. In total, the Evora has 402bhp and a massive 737lb ft, so 0-62mph takes only 4.4 seconds and the maximum speed is 133mph. Which is definitely more Fisker than Vauxhall.

Impressive figures, especially given that it weighs a whopping 377kg more than the standard Evora - getting on for 30 per cent extra mass. Colin Chapman - the maestro of ‘adding lightness' - is probably spinning in his grave, but I hope he'd be impressed with the way the suspension mitigates the worst excesses of all that flab.

Because - and here is the big pointfor all car fans - it still drives as fluidly as a Lotus should, thanks to the ‘e-diff'. Lotus has demonstrated, albeit in early development form, that a range-extender can be fun. It's working on ‘creating' an engine note for it, and even fitting flappy paddles and a cut in the torque delivery to make it feel like you're changing gear. At long last - an electric car that looks like it might have some character.

Piers Ward

The numbers
1200cc, 3cyl, twin electric motors, RWD, 402bhp, 737lb ft, 41.0mpg (est), 55g/km CO2 (est), 0-62mph in 4.4secs, 133mph, 1759kg

                                                     Fiat Panda 4x4 TwinAir driven

Not much point in telling you about where I went in the Panda 4x4, because if you saw the course, you wouldn't believe me. In some conditions, the plucky little Fiat can get you further off-road than a big-boy SUV.

It's light enough not to chew up the ground, and it's so small it can sit between ruts and steer among narrowly spaced rocks and trees and gullies. A six-speed gearbox with a low first gets it up slopes so steep you'd be afraid to walk them. I ended up by crossing some man-made obstacles that looked like they'd give the Curiosity rover a hard time.

Inevitably, out on the road, there are compromises. This TwinAir version is slower than a standard Panda, because at speed you get hit by the extra drag from the height gain. Still, if you needed to tackle a long motorway trip, you could. (You wouldn't want to in the alternative diesel, because it doesn't have sixth and makes a right racket in fifth at 80.)

Cornering, meanwhile, isn't successful by conventional yardsticks. The tyre makers were asked to make an all-season tyre, and they obviously took this to mean that even dry summery tarmac should feel like frosty winter mud. There's lots of soggy sidewall flex just to add to the body roll.

So what? You can always feel what it's doing, so it ends up being good, clean low-speed fun. Cane this thing and you feel like you're beating the system. The enthusiastic chirrup of the engine adds to the effect.

More good news awaits. The soft springs give it a lovely loping ride. Thanks to their long travel and the car's lightness, it just glides over speed bumps.

Wait a minute. Fun at low speed, great over sleeping policemen, small enough to slip down gaps, protected against knocks, rolling on tough kerb-proof tyres. It all adds up to a near-perfect city car, as well as one that's brilliant in the backwoods.

At Top Gear, we're not the first people upon whom this has dawned. So there's another new Panda called the Trekking. This has the same suspension, same all-season tyres, same looks, same engine as the 4x4. Only differences are 2WD and a 5spd 'box. It's no embarrassment off-road, but is better for general road use (lighter and cheaper), and is possibly the best knockabout city car on sale today.

Paul Horrell

The numbers
875cc, 2cyl, AWD, 85bhp, 107lb ft, 57.6mpg, 114g/km CO2, 0-62 in 12.1secs, 103mph, 1050kg

                                    Kia Sorento driven

There are facelifts, and then there are facelifts. This new Kia Sorento is a facelift. Less than three years into its lifespan, the purveyor of our Reasonably Priced Car has given its 4WD SUV a bit of a tickle.

There's a lot of different stuff underneath, including a new front subframe, longer rear trailing arms, new high-performance dampers all round, larger suspension bushes and a lower ride height.

But why, exactly, re-engineer something so early in its cycle? Well, the last Sorento came at the company's turning point, when it started churning out really good stuff, and thus stuck out a bit in Kia's New World Order. The Sorento needed to get better grades. This one's 18 per cent stiffer... not much, but an improvement nonetheless.

But, while there's talk of ‘agility' and ‘responsiveness', the tyre squeal is the first warning this new Sorento doesn't appreciate the finer complexities of corner entry and exit points. The drivetrain combination could best be described as ‘relaxed'. The diesel is reasonably quiet, punchy and refined, though. As is the six-speed auto 'box, which only occasionally forgets its purpose in life.

Truth be told, for a car weighing nearly two tonnes, it does a reasonable job of plodding along at pace. It's just you'd soon tire of bouncing around the cabin. But cars like this are about navigating the school-run circuit, not Silverstone. As such, the retuned suspension works wonders for refinement. The steering is perfectly acceptable too - not too vague, but accurate enough that you won't feel like a naval officer.

The cabin could do with a bit more glitz. The plastics are far from scratchy, but when a fully specced Optima feels like a mini-Audi, there's no reason why this SUV can't be treated to something better. Feels hard-wearing, though, and there's tons of room inside. It's a full seven-seater as standard - even if the rears are for kids only - but there's a decent boot if you fold them down. Plus, it doesn't look half bad either.

And that's the thing about the new Sorento - it's decent. Neither ground-breaking nor reprehensible, it's definitely worth a look.

Vijay Pattni

The numbers
2199cc, 4cyl, AWD, 194bhp, 311lb ft, 42.2mpg, 175g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 9.5secs, 118mph, 1891kg

                                           Audi R8 V10 Plus road test

Remember the innocent days of late 2006? Those naive times before the R8's launch when we wondered if Audi could really pull off a mid-engined supercoupe to rival the Porsche 911 and, heaven forbid, even the Gallardo?

How daft we were. So rapidly has the R8 been assimilated into the sports-supercar elite that when Audi recently announced a new range-topping version capable of 0-62mph in 3.5secs and a top speed of 198mph, our first question wasn't if it'd be any good, but exactly how excellent it'd be.

Pretty damn excellent, that's the answer. The V10 Plus (sadly, no relation to the Golf Plus) is the flagship of the facelifted R8 range, a facelift comprising sparkly new LED lights, an extensive weight-loss programme and, most significantly, a shiny new S tronic double-clutch gearbox to replace the R8's clunking old automated manual. Power output on the standard V8 and V10 models remain unchanged, but the Plus's V10, while remaining naturally aspirated, gets a 25bhp hike to a Ferrari-troubling 550bhp, putting its vital stats within a gnat's wing of the 458. What odds would you have got on an Audi causing sweaty palms in Maranello a decade ago?

The new 'box is a cracker. The R8 has lost sales to the 911 by not offering a credible alternative to PDK, but the S tronic is spot-on, melting into the background when you're pottering around, but serving up thumping, split-second shifts when you click the R8 into Sport. And the Plus's extra power doesn't undermine the R8's trump card - its easy, everyday usability. Even on dodgy roads, you can be a bit silly without bothering the traction control, the Plus's steering is easy and true, its standard ceramic brakes far less recalcitrant than many we've tried. It sounds magnificent, and it goes like the remapped clappers, but - much as it pains TG to say so - it's not our R8 of choice.

We'd stick with the non-Plus, slightly-less-powerful R8 V10 (coupe or convertible). Why? Because the stock R8 V10 is a fraction softer than the Plus, which has received a suspension beef-up fit for the schportiest model in the range. Though this hasn't transformed it into a gastric-band-dislodging Nürburgring special, the Plus is more of a handful to drive on obliterated, Brit-spec roads. But that's a minor blemish on a thoroughly convincing refresh, and, hey, if you just want the newest and the fastest, we won't blame you for going Plus. The R8 is no snotty upstart nowadays, but a card-carrying member of the supercar royalty. Arise, Sir Durch Technik...

Sam Philip

The numbers
5204cc, V10, AWD, 550bhp, 398lb ft, 21.9mpg, 299g/km CO2, 0-62 in 3.5secs, 198mph, 1595kg

                              Lexus RX 450h F Sport driven

Looking at the bald figures, it is quite impressive what Lexus manages to eke out of the RX450h. Just 145g/km of CO2 for a chunky great SUV is impressive when most diesel rivals (and Porsche's own hybrid Cayenne) can't get within 45g/km of that. So you'll save about £115 a year in tax.

Trouble is, in the business of actually driving it about, you don't get 45mpg, you get 30mpg - the same as all the diesel SUVs. And it's not like Lexus has pushed the technology boundaries. There's no plug-in system, and the battery range is pitiful. Driven gently, it is a very smooth system, but if you enjoy driving, do yourself a favour and bypass the RX. None of the driver controls feel attached to, well, anything further down. You're basically feeding requests to a bunch of computers that make the final decisions.

The F Sport trim level brings buyers absolutely no technical or mechanical upgrades, but the smoked alloy wheels and hexagonal grille do enhance the visuals... although whether they make the RX450h worth £51,995 is questionable. That puts the £115 annual tax saving into perspective, doesn't it?

Ollie Marriage

The numbers
3456cc, V6, 4WD, 295bhp, 247lb ft, 44.8mpg, 145g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 7.8secs, 124mph, 2205kg