Drive it!: The Motor Magazine

Sport compacts are making a comeback. Whether newcomers, like Hyundai's i30N, or long-standing favorites, like VW's Golf GTI, they all face stiff competition from the likes of the Ford Focus ST. The 4th generation hot hatch was launched in 2019.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been on the road since 1979, and externally, little has changed in all those years. Yet the 2nd generation of this classic, launched in 2018, has little in common with the original concept for this all-terrain vehicle.

New models just keep coming for the SUV segment. One of the latest is the Citroën C5 Aircross. To stand out from the crowd, Citroën put its own spin on convention. The C5 Aircross' main selling points are design and comfort.

A dream is born - the BMW M850i convertible. Infotainment flagship - the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer; Get loud with the SEAT Ibiza Beats, Sports classic - the 'People's Porsche' 924

The BMW 8 series now has a dream convertible to go along with its similarly beautiful coupe. The M850i is powered by a 4.4 liter V8 turbocharged gasoline engine which delivers 390 kW of power. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.

The Insignia is Opel's flagship model and the first to be equipped with the latest-generation infotainment system. The big draw is a touchscreen up to 8 inches in size. We check out an Insignia with the top-of-the-line Multimedia Navi Pro system.

We test Nissan's urban crossover Qashqai in the second highest trim level "Tekna". With an opulent infotainment system and black leather seats, it offers a certain level of luxury. But how does it shape up on the road?

SEAT has developed a special Ibiza model with the premium BeatsAudio sound system. It boasts a 300 W amplifier with eight channels, a digital signal processor and seven high-end speakers. This car not only has great sound, but nifty design details.

After VW bailed out of a joint project in the 1970s, Porsche developed the 924 by itself. It was its first front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Dubbed the "People's Porsche", it became one of the biggest-selling sports cars in history.

The Opel Olympia was a technological trend-setter back in the 1930s. It made Opel the first German carmaker to build 100,000 models a year. Its exterior hides a modern chassis and engine.

The Hilux is part of Toyota's 50-year history on the pickup market. More than 18 million of the world's most popular pickup truck have been sold. The 8th generation Hilux has been given a facelift.

Driving in tough conditions takes courage and a sense for safety. The Arvidsjauer region of Sweden has frozen lakes that provide perfect conditions for taking VW’s Arteon out for a test spin.

Drive It! presents: SUVs for any kind of terrain, a radical new racing car that takes no prisoners, and a classic car that's gone down in automotive history.

The Tarraco is Seat's SUV flagship. It shares a platform chassis with the VW Tiguan Allspace and the Škoda Kodiaq. Drive It! tested the Tarraco on snow and sand.

A McLaren marked with an LT has been stripped down to its bare bones. The 600LT Spider is the lightest car in its class. The uncompromising development aim was reducing its weight by 90 kg.

The latest trends in tuning and the newest electric and hybrid-drive cars: Drive it! covers the contrasts of the automotive world.

Untamed wilderness, unforgettable good times and lots of challenges: that was the 2019 Land Rover Experience Tour. This year’s off-road tour started in Namibia and finished in the Kavango Zambezi Park, the world's largest cross-border nature reserve.

The 4th generation of the Mazda 3 stays true to the plain but stylish Kodo design language. It's coming to showrooms with a choice of a 2-liter gasoline engine or a 1.8-liter diesel. A mild hybrid system is standard for both.

The e-Tron, presented in late 2018, was Audi's first all-electric-powered vehicle. Now, Audi has rolled out a 2nd electric model: another SUV, but with coupé body contours. A 300-kW output gives the e-tron Sportback a range of up to 446 kilometers.

Essen's fairground halls welcomed auto tuning fans for the 2019 edition of the annual Essen Motor Show - the 52nd. More than 500 exhibitors and over 300,000 fair-goers took the opportunity to exchange ideas on the latest car customization trends.

After 3 years on the road, the Toyota C-HR, short for Coupé-High-Rider, has had a facelift. Its distinctive angular design language seems to have found its fans, and its 1st generation rapidly became a bestseller.

A US auto show yields to the age of electricity, we rough it with a genuine cross-country vehicle and, in Barcelona, the Smart City Expo looks at ways to get around town easier and faster.

The LA Auto Show is just over. And E-mobility is the topic in Tinseltown. Not even the land of V8 engines and pickups can afford to ignore it. For carmakers it's a balancing act between present and future.

A decision to buy an SUV is not usually based on logic. Who really needs high ground clearance and off-road capability? It’s more about adventure – and looks. Audi now has a sporty, aggressive option in its range: The Q3 Sportback.

The Smart City Expo World Congress has been held in Barcelona. The goal was to change urban mobility while improving quality of life and reducing the environmental footprint - with concepts that combine technical, economic and social innovation.

The Mercedes G Class has survived for 40 years. Now, this cross-country vehicle has been thoroughly re-worked. The design language, with round headlights and fender-mounted turn signals, has not changed. But the interior and ride quality have.

Škoda has unveiled its new Octavia in Prague. The bestseller's fourth generation is larger, and more dynamic and modern. The engines offered range from gasoline or diesel, both mild and plug-in hybrids, to natural-gas versions.

Roadsters like the Mazda MX-5 are built for driving fun. The MX-5 is one of the bestselling roadster in the world. Now, Mazda has updated the engine. We tested the MX-5 with a 135-kilowatt gasoline engine.

VW is turning out a sports version of its T-Roc, giving the Crossover SUV the 221-kilowatt engine from the Golf R and exchanging the sport mode for a Race mode. The T-Roc is designed to resolve the comfort and sportiness conundrum.

Drive it! looks at a British legend, perennial favorites from Asia and an upscale city car from Germany.

For more than a century, the name Bentley has been the epitome of luxury. A brand fit for a queen it seems: Bentley is an official supplier to the British Royal Family. No wonder - the hand-crafted materials in the interior ooze comfort and luxury.

After nine years and more than 1.36 million sold, Mitsubishi has given its ASX a fourth facelift with a new look and a return to four-wheel drive. We test the refreshed ASX with the new two-liter 110-kilowatt gasoline engine.

Individual mobility still has its place in big cities, because not everyone can do everything by bus, train or bike. Enter Audi‘s A1 Citycarver, a taller version of its A1. Drive it! rides along with the new city car in Hamburg.

Toyota's luxury marque Lexus is celebrating its 30th anniversary. In 1989 its first model, the LS 400, launched in the US. The RX debuted in 1998 and was one of the vehicles that established the premium SUV segment.

We test the most powerful Audi R8. It shares a 5.2-liter V10 engine with the Lamborghini Huracán. 456 kW and 580 Nm of torque carry it from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.1 seconds. But this gasoline dinosaur is doomed to disappear.

Mobility is changing. Toyota is bucking the trend and putting its hopes on hydrogen fuel cells. We test drove the hydrogen-powered Mirai at the Zero-Emission-Tour and learned more about this drive technology.

In 2018, Seat spun off its subsidiary sports carmaker Cupra. Now, they have added exclusivity to the mix. Limited to 1999 cars, the Cupra Ateca Limited Edition has rims and a carbon-fiber body finished with a distinctive copper-thread braiding.

The 3rd-generation Volvo S60 edition is flatter, lower, sportier and more aggressive than its predecessor. The first Volvo to be produced in the USA, it comes to Europe with a choice of two turbocharged gasoline engines or a plug-in hybrid version.

Drive it! presents brand new models and the latest generation of an old favorite. We also look at future mobility at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Taycan is Porsche’s first all-electric production sports car. Nicknamed the Turbo S, it boasts an impressive 560 kW and 1050 Nm of torque. It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and top speed is limited to 260 km/h.

If European manufacturers are right, the future of mobility will be all-electric. But what about the Japanese manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda or Lexus? They showed off their rather different future concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The Peugeot 508 is undoubtedly one of the world's most elegant mid-size sedans. A real eye-catcher from the outside, it also has a refined interior. Numerous assistance systems support the driver on long hauls. The 508 can even park itself.

The Golf has not only become Volkswagen's best-selling car in recent decades, but also a synonym for an entire vehicle class. Now VW is showing the eighth generation of the million-seller to the world for the first time.

Mitsubishi's rolled out a thoroughly reworked L200 pickup. The automaker calls it a facelift, but it's far more than skin-deep. Brand-new under the hood is a 2.2-liter turbo-charged diesel engine. It puts out 110 kW.

The 208 offers a choice of gasoline or diesel-powered engines, or electric drive. We tested the most powerful gasoline engine, with 96 kW, as well as the e-208. At a fast charging station, the batteries can be charged to 80% in just half an hour.

Volkswagen's T-Roc has been on the road for 2 years. Now the auto giant is creating a new variant of the compact SUV: the T-Roc convertible. That's helping VW expand its model range in the industry's fastest-growing segment.

Subaru has given its mid-size Levorg station wagon a major facelift. The name Levorg is a portmanteau of the words 'LEgacy', 'reVOlution' and 'touRinG'. This Subaru aims to win over buyers with its roominess, creature comforts and sporty elegance.

In 1924, Friedrich Rometsch set up a shop in Berlin as a custom coachbuilder. In 1957 he introduced the Lawrence, named after designer Bert Lawrence. Underneath its beautiful, two-tone exterior the car relied on the VW Beetle's dependable technology.

At 500 kilowatts, this is the most powerful production Cayenne that Porsche has to offer. And it's a hybrid. This monster of a car has an electric motor. The 2.5 ton Cayenne can travel 40 kilometers on all-electric drive. Then the 4-liter V8 takes over.

2019 is shaping up as a record year for recreational vehicles. The proof can be seen at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, one of Europe's most popular RV trade fairs. This year's fair-goers are interested in the compact models.

Mazda has developed the new Skyactiv-X engine for its CX-30. It makes gasoline act like diesel, increasing the ratio of air to fuel and resulting in savings of up to 30 percent.