Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo driven

More Photos of Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo driven

 

Additional Info

• 

As pretty as the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is to look at, its styling is not the only story here. It's the new plug-in hybrid electric drivetrain which the sleek new silhouette is hiding that's the main feature. It's entirely possible, if you believe the swirling rumours, that a production version of the car will be built in a few years, but for now you really shouldn't let that knowledge affect your buying decisions.

The e-hybrid drivetrain, as Porsche calls it, will debut much sooner. Effectively a thorough upgrade of the existing Porsche parallel hybrid drivetrain found in the current Panamera and Cayenne, e-hybrid swaps the existing nickel-hydride battery for a much more perky lithium-ion unit.

This is almost exactly the same size as the more ploddy ni-hy cell but offers much greater storage capacity. The li-ion battery offers more of everything you want from a hybrid - faster acceleration, greater range and a higher top speed without having to resort to waking up the 333bhp, 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine, a carry-over from the current system.

The other new element - besides the ability to plug the car into the mains - is the electric motor, which now produces around double the amount of power (95bhp) compared with today's electric engine. This brings the total drivetrain output to a maximum of 416bhp, allows a top all-electric speed (if you feather the right pedal) of over 81mph and increases the maximum all-electric range (not at 81mph, I might add) to about 18 miles. Petrol consumption is a claimed 81mpg.

If you just get in the car and start driving, it defaults to all-electric driving as much as possible. This can be overridden by slamming down the throttle, or, more elegantly, by pressing a wheel-mounted button. This allows you to charge up the battery as you zip down the motorway and then cruise into town on a wave of electric silence. Charging using an AC plug takes two and a half hours.

In the Sport Turismo, the system worked perfectly, cutting the engine on cue and bringing it back into the game as soon as asked. It also demonstrated in bursts of vivid acceleration down a sleepy section of Sunset Boulevard with a police escort, that it is still very much a Porsche. Its 0-62mph time is quoted at about six seconds, but it feels faster than that.

When fitted to a production Panamera, the sensation will undoubtedly be more muted, but still a significant advance over the current car. It's a pity that Porsche won't do the same for the styling, but with the Panamera Sport Turismo breaking cover, there's hope even that will change for the better soon.

Pat Devereux

The numbers
3000cc, V6, lithium-ion battery, RWD, 416bhp, 428lb ft, 81mpg, 82g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 6.0secs (est), n/a mph, n/a kg

                                         Land Rover Defender Kahn driven

£49,875 Driven March 2013

More Photos of Land Rover Defender Kahn driven

 

Additional Info

• 

I'm not quite sure what to make of these modded Defenders. Range Rover Sports I can understand - the car leans that way in the first place, so aftermarket tweaking is merely caricaturisation. But a dressed-up Defender? Surely that's like trying to cram a mangy gundog into a chichi shoulder bag? It might fit, but it won't be a happy union for any of those involved.

So why is it that I have a soft spot for this car? I think it's because no matter how much you do to a Defender, whether you give it a Towie-tan or a camo-and-winches makeover, its character remains unaffected. It's always noisy, always harsh, always utilitarian, always a semi-shambles to drive.

This Kahn (we've driven Overfinch and Twisted versions before) is no exception. The 2.2-litre diesel is rowdy, and the automatic gearbox is hilariously indecisive at high speeds, constantly flicking and jerking between ratios. In any other car, this would be unacceptable, but here it's a key part of its charm. In fact the gearbox might be the single best upgrade - it makes the Defender so much easier to live with.

The live axle chassis bucks around, the discomfort exaggerated here by a super-firm racing bucket seat (standard for all passengers too). The upside is that the Kahn has the best driving position of any Defender I've ever driven. I could do without the three-spoke chrome steering wheel, though. It's from a speedboat, and not bad to hold, but trying to remember when it's pointing straight is a trial.

However, the quality of the fit and finish is first-rate. It really is. We're not just talking about the quilted leather and Harris Tweed seats here, but every insert, panel or stitch. And there are a lot of them. Including rear-passenger knee protectors. Steering wheel aside, the Harris Tweed 'n' Defender mix works pretty well, adding luxury without seeming overly precious.

It wears its body mods well, too. There have been few mechanical upgrades bar the wheels, tyres and exhaust, but the extra side cladding over the arches gives the LR a tougher stance, and the wheels and grille sit comfortably on the slabby panels. It shouts oligarch security entourage or perhaps rural agri-rock star. We didn't mind being seen in it at all, but if it were ours, we might change the numberplate.

Ollie Marriage

The numbers
2198cc, 4cyl, 4WD, 122bhp, 265lb ft, 25.5mpg, 266g/km CO2, 0-62mph in 13.0secs, 90mph, 1887kg

                          Toyota Auris Hybrid driven 

£19,995 Driven February 2013

More Photos of Toyota Auris Hybrid driven

 

Additional Info

• 

Toyota gave us the GT86 this year, something for which it's clearly keen to make amends. So it's set about balancing the sports car's yang with a bit of plainer yin. And given us a new Auris hatchback.

Toyota's Golf rival has long been an underperformer of the highest order, but as we understand it, company boss Akio Toyoda's demand that Toyotas ought to be more fun to drive applies across the board. So here we have a heavily facelifted Auris, one that's received some heavy body revisions, an all-new interior, has new suspension, has lost weight and possibly found a new purpose in life. Possibly.

It does look quite different from before. Well, the nose does, anyway; it's a bit like one of Citroen's chevrons inverted. The flanks are neatly pressed, too, but I bet when you first clicked to this page there was no flash of instant recognition. The biggest change is the drop in height, the Auris is now 55mm lower - a big drop. This has a nice knock-on effect, reducing the frontal area, improving the aero and lowering CO2 emissions.

To just 85g/km, in the case of this hybrid model. It's a Toyota, so of course there's a hybrid model. Same system as the Prius, but flakier. This one can travel a mere 1.25 miles solely on electric, and it's a shame that, having instigated the hybrid revolution, Toyota isn't doing more to keep the pressure on. However, 85g/km is low and makes for free tax and good boasts in tearooms across the land. If only it weren't paired with a horrid CVT transmission and blandly intrusive 1.8-litre petrol.

And why does the cabin have to be so slabby and plain? I swear the old one was more interesting than this dull and generic effort. Perhaps the most interesting thing is the cloth on the seats, which has a raised weave. No detectable improvement to the quality or tactility, either, but, as ever, you get the impression you're sitting in something that will never go wrong.

But never excite, either. Some good stuff exists here, though. The Auris is now more professional around corners, it doesn't flounder, has reasonable body control and is placid when cruising. Bit more road noise than I was expecting from something that aims to do battle with a Golf (or even a Kia Cee'd) - and it's not a car you're ever going to get a kick out of driving. It's just too boring.

Ollie Marriage

The numbers
1798cc, 4cyl petrol and electric motor, 134bhp, 105lb ft, 76.3mpg, 85g/km CO2 , 0-62mph in 10.9secs, 112mph, 1370kg

The verdict
Sharper-looking, better-driving, but this plain-clothes Prius lags well behind the Golf.