Teaser: BMW has come up with the Active Hybrid 3. Should we be shelling out an extra 14,000 euros for the new technology? Mazda has unveiled a fuel-efficient machine without expensive technology - the Mazda Diesel CX-5. And finally, a look at the rarest and most precious vintage cars at the Schloss Bensberg Classics.
BMW has put hybrid drive into a mid-range car: the Active Hybrid 3. Its powertrain is a 225-kilowatt straight-six cylinder engine with Beamer's own TwinPower Turbo Technology. An electric motor supplies another 40 kilowatts, drawing on a high-performance lithium-ion battery. The Active Hybrid 3 can reach speeds of 75 kph for up to four kilometers on electric drive alone.
The CX-5 is the first compact SUV from Mazda. Technically the CX-5 has quite a few innovations on board. It boasts low fuel consumption and lower emissions. The CX-5's price tag starts at 23,490 Euros in Germany. Drive it! takes a closer look at the new Mazda.
One of the best known minivans on the market is the VW Sharan. We test the 103 kilowatt Turbodiesel with Blue Motion Technology and direct shift gearbox. Drive it! takes a look at the family seven seater to see what makes it so popular.
What's the quickest and easiest way to change a tire. Drive it! asks three teams to try different car jacks. How will they fare? And which care jack gets the best results? Drive it! tells you what to look out for when you have to change a tire.
The fourth Schloss Bensberg Classics was held in the second week of September. One of its events presented forty of the rarest and most precious vintage cars under the motto "Very important cars only", some of them the only ones of their kind. The main events are the Rallye Historique and the Concours d’Elégance.
Classic Bugattis, Bentleys, Ferraris, Porsches and even a VW Bug or two strut their stuff on Drive It!
