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    Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to us, our 2021 Honda Ridgeline was not prepped with the proper winter windshield-wiper fluid containing antifreeze. This oversight caused problems during a 10-hour trek north: As the temperature dropped and the windshield was coated with a milky film from salted highways, the fluid froze. At first the water froze on contact with the glass, then it froze deeper in its bowels, and for the final nine hours, no fluid came out at all. The weather then turned to freezing rain and sleet. We initially welcomed the moisture; it meant fewer stops at gas stations to clean the windshield. As the mercury dropped further, however, the freezing rain froze instantly upon contact with the glass, and the defroster was too weak to melt it and keep the entire windshield clear. There were some intervals where all but the top strip cleared with the fan on full speed and set solely to Defrost. Choosing a setting that allows a combination of Defrost and a little he...

    "Can I be geeky and take a closer look?” asks a man charging his   Nissan Leaf , no sooner than I’ve plugged the   VW ID 3   into an Instavolt charger in Banbury. Why of course you can, sir, although one question: as an electric vehicle convert, driving the world’s most populous EV, does the arrival of the new ID 3 still feel like a significant moment? “Absolutely.” Interesting. You can already buy an electric vehicle that does everything an ID 3 does. You’ve even been able to buy an electric Volkswagen before now. But, somehow, the ID 3, in the UK here in ‘1st Edition’ trim, still feels like a waypoint on the road. It sits, as you’ll doubtless know, on Volkswagen’s MEB electric architecture, so although, at 4.3m, it’s about the length of a Volkswagen Golf, it has a longer wheelbase and, it’s claimed, much more interior space. The battery (this one is the mid-range 58kWh unit with a WLTP range of 260 miles and a 100kW charge capacity) sits ben...

    There are several great reasons to treat yourself to   this week’s issue of Autocar , among them our 5500th road test, which just so happened to be on the   Audi S3 Sportback . Not the greatest hot hatchback, it’s fair to say; as you might well already have read. Nor, perhaps, is it even an anniversary worth celebrating. But if only to mark it, I spent a morning in our archive of old issues earlier this week jumping back in time 1000 tests at a time just to see what I would find. We’re a weekly magazine and always have been, and these days, we generally publish one full road test per issue. Stands to reason that road test number 4500 should have appeared about 20 years ago, then. Back then, we were well into the habit of numbering our weekly big instrumented tests (thank heavens), and so on 4 July 2001, our 4500th road test subject was... the Rover 75 Tourer. We tested the 2.5-litre V6 version, all 175bhp and 1570kg of it. Performance from the KV6 ...

    What are the uninitiated to make of the   updated 2022 Hyundai Kona   in   new N Line trim ? The subcompact SUV's distinctive exterior is kind of cute,   kind of funky   and chunky, but not necessarily everyone's cup of tea. As an N Line offering, it's supposed to be sportier, and its size and fifth door have led some to consider the Kona to be something of a compact/subcompact hatchback instead of a small crossover SUV. The 2022 Kona N Line features the range's more powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and our test vehicle has all-wheel drive. As for the N Line designation, that's a reference to the brand's "N" vehicles, like  the Veloster N ,  the Elantra N , and, yes,  the  Kona N , with N Line being a sort of stepping stone between the regular versions and the frenetic, high-performance full-N models. Those include the Elantra N Line, Sonata N Line, ...

     As for range, the EPA says a 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS450+ can do 350 miles on a single full charge (just 10 more than an EQS580). We put more than 200 miles on our test car during a week of parking it outside overnight in cold weather without charging, after starting with an almost-full battery pack (with about 300-some miles of range showing) and never once worried we'd run out of juice. Each night the battery would lose some range (again, we didn't plug it in). At the end of the week, a 38-minute charge from nearly empty to 80 percent on a 150-kW Electrify America charger brought the EQS450+'s range to a displayed 321 miles. Doing a little back-of-napkin math—presuming that 80 percent reading was exactly accurate—that translates to 401 miles of range on a full charge, quite a bit more than the EPA's seemingly conservative estimate. The EQS, by the way, is capable of up to 200-kW charging speeds.

  Both versions are powered by a variation of the electrified 3.0-litre V6 that powers the Q7 60 TFSI e, with the 335bhp petrol motor assisted by an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox.  In the 55 TFSIe, available from £73,860, the system produces a combined 376bhp and 443lb ft, while the Competition 60 TFSIe bumps the price up to £85,750 for boosts of 80bhp and 73lb ft. The 55 TFSIe is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 5.8sec and the more potent model in 5.4sec. Both top out at an electronically limited 149mph. In both forms, the Q8 plug-in hybrid can travel a WLTP-certified 28 miles on electric power alone and achieve between 97 and 100mpg on the WLTP combined cycle while emitting between 65 and 66g/km of CO2.  Two driving modes are available: EV, which leaves the petrol V6 engine dormant, and Hybrid, which automatically switches between the electric and combustion motors as appropriate. The Q8's MMI infotainme...

  Sutton Bespoke, the aftermarket division of premium car dealer Clive Sutton, is hoping to attract high-end private hire operators with a luxury take on the LEVC TX. Called the Sutton VIP Class LEVC, the model is based on the Coventry-built range-extender electric taxi that has been plying city streets since 2017. However, its functional cabin has been completely overhauled. The hard-wearing plastic trim has been replaced with an extensive use of Sandalwood leather and Alcantara throughout. Rubber floormats have been junked in favour of thick-pile carpet, while hand-crafted wood veneers adorn the doors. A number of other tech upgrades are included. The stereo has been upgraded, a TV tuner with Apple TV has been installed and there's even the option of a fitted Sony PlayStation 4 games console. Rearmost passengers also receive a new centre armrest hiding a fridge mounted behind the seats. A retractable screen separates the driver and passenger compartment for increas...