Remember when old-school meant manual transmission and naturally aspirated engines? If you're old enough to have kids you probably do recall when a turbocharger did not equal simplicity, but times have changed, and cars have changed with them.
There's no point in moaning over it unless you're some sort of automotive industry god who can change the current market trends with a snap of your finger, but since nothing like that has happened so far, I guess that's not the case. So, hybrid technology is here to stay. The best we can hope for is that it will evolve to its best possible form and do it quickly.
For now, though, some questions over whether adding an electric motor and some batteries will make a car better can still be asked. That's precisely what Mat Watson from carwow does with this series of challenges for the BMW X3 M40i, the Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar, and the Audi Q5 55 TFSIe quattro.
Right off the bat, the Audi wins the prize for the most ridiculous trim name. It's such a mouthful that we're sure even the salespersons will call it the "Q5 hybrid," which is what we'll do as well from now on. Also on team hybrid is the Volvo XC60 T8 which, just like the Audi, uses a turbocharged two-liter engine in conjunction with an electric motor to maximize power output and torque.
The two mixed-fuel vehicles definitely win the numbers battle. The Volvo looks down on everyone from the height of its 405 hp, while the Audi sits in the middle with 367 hp. Scraping the very high bottom is the BMW with its turbocharged straight-six engine producing 354 hp. All contenders use automatic transmissions that shuffle power to all four wheels.
The only thing left to differentiate them, then, is their weight. Predictably, the hybrids tilt the scale the most with 2.2 tons for the Swede and 2.1 for the Teuton. The Bavarian is no feather itself at 1.9 tons, but it's enough to put it at an advantage.
So, curious to see how the standing and rolling start drag races in different driving modes pan out? Is hybridization the future? Well... it's not smart to base such an important decision on one amateur-level test, but the clip will definitely show the pros and cons of the technology as opposed to the good old turbocharged gasoline engine.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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