Opel/Vauxhall Grandland Mk2 v Peugeot 5008 III

The Opel/Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 5008 are very different vehicles. But they both have the same electrified heart. That's something you might expect from Stellantis' mad inventions.

2025 Opel Grandland

2025 Vauxhall Grandland

2025 Peugeot 5008

First, let's get to know the prices of the twin midsize crossovers. The second-generation Grandland starts at 36,000 Euros or 34,700 Pounds while the third-generation 5008 starts at 38,200 Euros plus additional costs. On paper, they're slotted below the 40-grand mark, which is reasonably priced for these midsize crossovers from the Stellantis fleet.

2025 Opel Grandland

2025 Vauxhall Grandland

2025 Peugeot 5008

Despite their similar sizes, the Grandland and the 5008 have distinct appearances. The Grandland features the new Vizor design that first appeared on the second-generation Mokka, while the 5008 is essentially a larger version of the 3008.

2025 Opel Grandland interior

2025 Peugeot 5008 interior

The all-new Grandland features a 16-inch HD touchscreen with smartphone connectivity that controls almost the entire vehicle as well as the 10-inch driver information cluster and an optional HUD. 

The all-new 5008, meanwhile, is jammed with Peugeot's i-Cockpit setup consisting of dual 10-inch screens on the Allure or the 21-inch Panoramic i-Cockpit with i-Connect Advanced, voice recognition, ChatGPT, and others.

Space-wise, it's the 5008 that is the most spacious of the two because while the Grandland has 550 to 1645 liters of boot space, the 5008 has 758 to 1815 liters. Surprising.

As told earlier, they both have the same electrified heart. They are offered a choice of a 136PS 1.2L Hybrid mated to an e-DSC6, a 1.6L PHEV with 195PS of power while mated to an e-DSC7, and the range-topping electric with a choice of a 73kWh and 82kWh battery packs.

The Grandland Electric has up to 213PS of power with a 0-100kph time of nine seconds and a driving range of 582km while the e-5008 has up to 230PS of power with a 0-100kph of over nine-and-a-half seconds and a driving range of 664km so, on paper, it's another win for the 5008.

Both the Grandland and the 5008 are now running on Stellantis' STLA Medium platform and as a result, they're both driving better than their predecessors, although they're still front-wheel-drive only so the only paths they're good at are just roads. Not off-roads. Contrasting, isn't it?

The all-new Grandland comes standard with a variety of safety features, including automatic cruise control with stop-and-go function, advanced traffic sign recognition, intelligent speed adjustment, and post-collision braking. For an additional fee, you can add the Intelli-Drive 2.0 system. The all-new 5008 comes standard with Drive Assist Plus 2.0 and Peugeot VisioPark 360.

The Opel/Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 5008 are very different vehicles. But they both have the same electrified heart. That's something you might expect but in the end, out of the two, it's the all-new 5008 that takes the share.

Photo: Opel/Vauxhall/Peugeot

MG ZS (ZS3A) and HS (AS3A)

MG's ZS and HS budget crossovers have entered their latest generation. These new-generation MG crossovers are worth noting for their budget-conscious pricing, spacious interiors, impressive dynamics, and advanced technology.

2025 MG ZS

2025 MG HS

The all-new MG ZS starts at 21,995 Pounds plus additional costs while the all-new MG HS starts at 24,995 Pounds plus additional costs. Although they're sized differently with the HS slightly bigger than the ZS, these crossovers finally eschewed the Mazda-esque styling in favor of a cleaner styling lifted from today's MG3. Welcome to the new look of MG.

2025 MG ZS interior

2025 MG HS interior

Digging on the new interiors, the all-new ZS features a 12.3-inch color touchscreen as standard on the SE model while the Trophy variant features Black Leather upholstery, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, and rear privacy glass. The boot space goes from 443 to 1457 liters.

The all-new HS, meanwhile, features two 12.3-inch HD screens, dual-zone auto airconditioning, heated front seats, and Black Leather Style Upholstery with Tan Leather Style Upholstery. Because of the increased dimensions compared to the previous model, the boot space goes from 507 to 1484 liters.

When discussing performance, the all-new ZS features the same hybrid powertrain as the current MG3. It includes a 102PS 1.5L petrol engine combined with a 100kW electric motor, resulting in a total power output of 196PS and 465Nm of torque. This setup is paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission, allowing the vehicle to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in under nine seconds, with a top speed of 104 mph.

On the other hand, the all-new HS offers more options. It provides a choice between a 170PS 1.5L Turbo GDi engine, which can be mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Alternatively, there is a high-performance 272PS 1.5T GDI plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) paired with a 2-speed automatic transmission. It can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in under seven seconds and reach a maximum speed of 105 mph. Combined fuel economy is 0.5km/100km based on WLTP standards.

Both of these crossovers come with MG Pilot Advanced Driver Assistance System, which provides a variety of driver aids. In addition, they have a 360-degree parking camera and MG I-Smart live services for added peace and security.

MG's ZS and HS budget crossovers have entered their latest generation. These new-generation MG crossovers are worth noting for their budget-conscious pricing, spacious interiors, impressive dynamics, and advanced technology. Which one will you go for?

Photo: MG Motor UK

Polestar 4 vs Lotus Emeya

Polestar has done the impossible with the first-ever Polestar 4, an all-electric coupe crossover with no rear window. How is this possible? Is it legal to drive a car without a rear window?

2025 Polestar 4

The 700,000Kr Polestar 4 is unlike every road car you've come across since the days of the Gumpert Apollo because like the Apollo, the Polestar 4 has no rear view window. Verging suicidal by Polestar standards, the liftback styling and signature Polestar styling first seen in the Polestar 3 SUV really means business for the Swedish EV premium brand under the thumb of China's Geely group.

2025 Polestar 4 interior

Inside, the Polestar 4 accommodates up to five people but because of such luxury car pricing, it's too expensive to be used as a family car, perhaps it can be used for business class purposes, escorting big shots from Peking to Paris. Because it doesn't have a rear mirror, the only way to see things behind you is by using the 15.4-inch touch screen with Google built-in and Snapdragon Cockpit Platform. It's the future, after all.

Powered by a 102kWh battery pack, the RWD Long Range Single Motor variant produces 272PS of power while the AWD Long Range Dual Motor variant produces 544PS of power, sprinting from 0-100kph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 200kph. As for the driving range, the latter does 590km on one full charge.

The Polestar 4 is packed with numerous safety features that earned the right to become fully autonomous in the foreseeable future, with Level 2 autonomy the best it can do for now. It even comes with the Polestar-first Smart Eye that detects drivers' eye movements in the name of reducing driver distraction.

2025 Lotus Emeya

Feeling nervous about driving a car with no rearview mirror like the Polestar 4 should be better off with the more expensive choice; the Lotus Emeya, the first all-electric premium sedan from the company behind lightweight sports cars such as the Elise, Exige, and the Evora.

2025 Lotus Emeya interior

Priced at 89,500 Pounds plus additional costs, the Emeya is more expensive than the no-rear-window Polestar 4 and has one seat less compared to the said car but with all the downsides come with the added upsides because, unlike the Eletre SUV, this is a lot more interesting to drive.

Like the Eletre SUV, the Emeya sedan is powered by dual motors that power it and the Geely-derived platform underneath. Although it doesn't behave like a Lotus, it delivers a throat-chopping experience when you put your foot down and looks like someone's driven to tears, wishing they want to experience this someday.

The Emeya features three different configurations with the base variant producing 612PS of power and 373 miles of driving range to the ultra-powerful Eletre R with a monstrous 918PS of power output, capable of going from 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 278kph. As for the range, the Eletre R is good for 485km on one full charge.

It also features the most sophisticated ADAS offered such as the LIDAR system, ultra-HD cameras, and millimeter-wave radar, making it equipped for fully autonomous driving.

The Polestar 4 is an all-electric coupe crossover with no rear window, while the Lotus Emeya is an all-electric premium sedan. Both cars have pros and cons. The Polestar 4 is less expensive but doesn't have a rear window, while the Lotus Emeya is more expensive but has a rear window. If I had to choose, I would go for the Lotus.

Photo: Polestar, Lotus

My FH5 Log: Quartet JUNK

Christmas celebrations in Forza Horizon 5 are officially ruined because of the arrival of The Four Horsemen of the Scrap-o-calypse. 

Four older-generation luxury cars have invaded Horizon Mexico to darken our Yuletide celebrations. Who are this update's nightmares during the Christmas celebration?

Week 1 of the Horizon Holidays Mix-up saw the first horseman of the scrap-o-calypse: the third-generation Bentley Flying Spur. The last W12-powered Flying Spur.

Week 2 saw the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Wagon. This German junk is powered by a supercharged 5.4L V8 engine producing 469HP of power and 516ft-lb of torque. This is more than your auntie's basic W211 E-Class saloon.

Week 3 shocked Bimmer fanatics in Forza with the wrong M5. It's the previous-generation F90 M5 CS. This limited-edition M5 is based on the facelifted F90 M5 and is the first to have four seats. The tuned 4.4L V8 Twin Turbo engine produces 627HP of power and 553ft-lb of torque, sprinting form 0-60-mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 190mph, making it the fastest-accelerating M saloon ever made.

Lastly, the final week of the Horizon Holidays Mix-up brought us another "clunker" wagon; the Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon. Even in its estate setting, it carries the same features from the CTS-V sedan and coupe such as control arm front suspension, Multi-Link rear suspension, Brembo brakes, dual-mode Magnetic Ride Control, Bose 5.1 surround sound system, standard navigation system, and a choice of two transmission types; a 6-speed 6L90 automatic or a 6-speed Tremec TR-6060 manual. It even packs a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine from the C6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, producing 556hp power and 550ft-lb of torque.

It's time to unleash the ghosts of Christmas past around Horizon Mexico. These four horsemen of the scrapyard are going to give us a taste of what they're made of.

Welcome to the dark side of the Horizon Holidays.

It's typical Forza. They've shunned the evolution of automobiles and shocked the younger generation of car enthusiasts by dumping older-generation cars into games like Forza Horizon 5. As the year 2025 approaches with nothing from the Forza producers, I guess this is what they called the death kneel.

That's right. The Forza franchise is officially DEAD in 2025 because none of the games featured every single 2025 Model Year vehicle. This means that the new Forza Motorsport game and Forza Horizon 5 are the last Forza games they'll ever make as the Forza franchise is set to permanently close its doors in 2025.

I just remembered: the Horizon Extremes update next week will have just one prize car, and it's a rotten piece of junk from the depths of the inferno: the DeBerti Chevrolet C10 Slayer. Still, this is the beginning of the end—the end of not just Forza Horizon 5 but THE END OF THE FORZA FRANCHISE.

Good luck enjoying the final days of the Forza franchise. It was a fun racing franchise while it lasted...

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special Episode Review

Six months have passed since The Doctor thwarted world chaos by ending Sutekh's Empire of Death and reuniting Ruby Sunday with her real mother, but what is the "absolute terror" Mrs. Flood warned at the end? No one knows what that is but for now, The Doctor's having a vacation in the Christmas 2024 special where his stay at the Time Hotel and an encounter with a young woman turned deadly.

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas Special

HOLD IT! Ensure you have already watched the episode before my quick review. Come back here when you have already watched it.

My FH5 Log: Bottom-dollar Papayas

Racing is McLaren's religion. Every racing disciple from Le Mans to Formula 1 is part of McLaren's daily routine. So are the supercars that made them. When McLaren created cars like the comfort-oriented McLaren GT and the V6 PHEV powerhouse Artura, how did these cars affect McLaren's reputation?

Well, that's for me to find out. These bottom-dollar papayas from the McLaren fleet may not be as well-known as its greatest hits, like the 720S and the Senna, but when it comes to performance, they are in a class of their own.

The McLaren GT is a serious super grand tourer that's all about refinement on the road. It's separate from every other McLaren supercar because it uses its own monocoque body structure developed specifically for this car. It's also a hundred kilograms lighter than its closest rival and can accommodate up to 570 liters of boot space. Under the hood, the McLaren GT uses a specially-made 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 620PS of power and 630Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed SSG transmission, it can do 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 203mph.

The McLaren Artura is the company's first V6-powered PHEV supercar. It injects most of its motorsport know-how into the making of this unorthodox machine. The 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine is mated to an axial flux motor and a refrigerant-cooled Li-ion battery producing 680PS of power and 720Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed SSG, it sprints from 0-60mph in three seconds and has a top speed of 205mph. Running on electricity alone, it can go for as little as 19 miles. Aside from the performance, the Artura has near-perfect weight distribution courtesy of its carbon bodywork, front double wishbone, multi-link rear, Proactive Damping Control, electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, Carbon Ceramic Discs, forged aluminum brake calipers, and specially-developed Pirelli P-ZERO tires. It even comes with a Variable Drift Control that can adjust its drifting angle.

To see which of the bottom-dollar papayas was the superior one, I went to the main festival site to conduct this unnecessary experiment. Let's roll the tape!

And here are the results...

McLaren GT - 1m12.973s

Artura - 1m09.620s

The Artura is better than the McLaren GT. While the McLaren GT's comfort-oriented dynamics are out of character on the track, the Artura still packs McLaren's racing DNA even in its unorthodox powertrain. It's no wonder the Artura was chosen for GT4 Class duty.

McLaren's GT and Artura are considered "bottom-dollar Papayas" in the McLaren fleet. However, both cars performed well on the track, showcasing their potential to be part of the fleet.

Well, now that my quick log about the two unsung papayas is over, it's time for my little aftershow where the McLaren GT and the Artura are taking centerstage and with that, it's off to the dressing room floor!

Miss Amane Sumeragi, you're off to the Secret Garden! It looks like my McLaren GT is ready for its Eternal Revue.

Rinrin Shinomiya is a member of AISMIRIN and Quartet STAR, and her specialty is data analysis. Since driving the Artura can be as much fun as wrestling a brown bear, I've brought her in to analyze the data from my test drive. If her data is accurate, we're in for a long run. Wow, looks like I've completed the Quartet STAR design collection. Why not take a look at them sometime?

Donning their respective roles that match their dynamics, the two McLarens are ready to tackle two EventLab masterpieces. The McLaren GT takes on another re-enactment of a certain racetrack from a certain racing game while the Artura takes on an EventLab re-enactment of the Road Course segment of Mobility Resort Motegi. Take it from Rinrin, she has studied these EventLab creations completely, and looks like we're good to go. VTR, start!

Eternal Revue or Bear Bear Bear? Amane or Rinrin? Which one will you go for?

The McLaren GT and the Artura are already worthy of respect, but recent updates will make them even more praiseworthy. These updates will enhance their performance and handling, making them even more fun to drive.

Looking forward to more from these "bottom-dollar" papayas.

My GT7 Log: Legendary Rivalry

The rivalry between McLaren and Ferrari has become a significant part of Formula 1 history. As the 2024 season finale approaches, it will determine which team will be crowned Constructors' Champion. Their Vision Gran Turismo concepts offered in Gran Turismo 7 will help predict which team is likely to claim the title.

Before my little prediction over the duel between the Papaya and the Prancing Horse, let's get to know these two Vision GT concepts envisioned by the two legendary rivals.

First off, let's get to know the McLaren Vision Gran Turismo. This concept imagines what motorsports might look like in the future. Apart from its center-positioned driving layout and futuristic cockpit surrounding the driver, its turbocharged 4.0L hybrid powertrain produces 1134HP of power and 627ft-lb of torque. There's a well-known fact that this concept spawned the track-only Solus GT, making it the first Vision Gran Turismo concept to spawn a production equivalent.

Now, let's get to know the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo Concept. Unveiled at the 2022 GT World Series Finals, the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo celebrates 75 years of the Italian sports car maker while envisioning the future of motorsports in Ferrari's terms. Running on a 3.0L V6 hybrid powertrain through all four wheels, it produces 1363hp of power and 664.2ft-lb of torque.

With the introductions of the VGTs complete, let's focus on the intense rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the Suzuka Circuit, a racetrack known for the memorable battles between the two drivers. 

There's a well-known story about the decisive battle in this track. During the finale of the 1989 F1 season, Senna and Prost, the two McLaren drivers, collided in a decisive showdown. Although Prost retired from the race, Senna managed to finish, but he was penalized for corner-cutting after the crash, which dashed his title hopes and ultimately awarded the championship to Prost.

In the 1990 season, Senna sought revenge by crashing Prost, who switched to Ferrari, out of the race. Both drivers were forced to retire, but this incident allowed Senna to secure his second World Championship title.

Long story short but you get the point. It's time to decide which one stands tall as I search for the answer in this high-octane crystal ball. Roll the tape.

And now the results...

McLaren VGT - 1m50.147s

Ferrari VGT -  1m49.317s

Somewhere, Alain Prost is likely smiling. The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo narrowly defeated the McLaren Vision Gran Turismo by less than a second, suggesting a small possibility that a Ferrari driver (I’m betting on Charles Leclerc) could outpace a McLaren driver (I’m betting on Lando Norris) by such a slim margin. I understand that neither team holds a clear advantage in today's Gran Turismo World Series finals, but our VGT machines offered us a remarkably close prediction for today's Formula 1 finale.

James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton vs. Kimi Raikkonen, and Lando Norris vs. Charles Leclerc—these rivalries have become legendary in Formula 1 history. The competition between McLaren and Ferrari is particularly infamous. With my prediction in place, whether it turns out to be right or wrong, I believe this upcoming duel will be the most exciting of the new era.

I wish them good luck to the two motoring factions.