THE RISE AND RISE OF THE COMPACT SUV is baffling. Every other car seems to be one, so it's gratifying to learn that Europe is, in fact, still the biggest market for estate cars. It suggests that there are still many of us who recognise that a long, low-estate car is not only more stylish and practical but also intrinsically more dynamic than a potato on wheels; the compact SUV is essentially a jacked-up saloon higher centre of gravity and all the dynamic with a commensurately compromises that brings.
There's also something about a sporty estate that makes it cooler than the saloon it's based on, so much so that you'd be tempted to go for the five-door even if you didn't have dogs or bikes or kids' paraphernalia to haul about. We're huge fans of the current BMW M3 Competition but its desirability went through the roof when it was revealed in Touring form last summer, and it didn't disappoint when we drove it (evo 307), earning the full five stars.
The M3 Touring is arguably the ultimate sporty estate, but we can't all afford £80k or more and while most us might want 503bhp we don't need it. Question is, would the lesser M340i Touring do the job? Like the M3, it has a sonorous 3-litre, single-turbo straight-six and comes with four-wheel drive as standard, which seems sensible given that it's not short of grunt: a generous 369bhp and 369lb ft of torque. It's also more affordable too, of course, at just over of £60k before options.
Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Cupra Formentor Abt
It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
Renault Sport Clio 200 Turbo
This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The underachieving Mk8 GTI gets a shot at redemption with the new, revised Mk8.5 version. Is it the leap forward it needs to be?
BEST BUYS
FAST FORDS FROM THE CORTINA TO THE ESCORT AND THE FIESTA, Ford is responsible for some of the most popular cars in British history. But alongside these everyday machines it has also produced a stream of desirable driver's cars.
HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
SEXY BEAST
The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
THE JOY OF DRIVING
From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
TINY DANCER
You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Grandaddy to the Temerario and the car that transformed Lamborghini was the brilliant, V10-engined Gallardo. We get reacquainted with a Lambo legend