Autocar is a weekly British motoring magazine and website that covers the global car industry. It combines breaking news, detailed car reviews, and analysis of automotive technology and business. The brand targets car enthusiasts, committed buyers, and industry professionals. It focuses on depth, testing rigour, and access to decision makers inside car companies.
Coverage
Autocar reports daily on new car launches, facelifts, and concept cars. It tracks product plans from major manufacturers and emerging brands. It covers regulation, emissions policy, safety rules, and how these shape new models. It also follows trends such as electrification, connectivity, and autonomy.
New car reviews sit at the core of Autocar. Road tests use repeatable routes and measurements wherever possible. Reviews cover performance, handling, ride, refinement, efficiency, practicality, and ownership costs. The coverage compares cars directly with key rivals to show strengths and weaknesses in context.
The magazine is known for in-depth road tests and long-term tests. Full road tests examine engineering detail, suspension design, powertrain technology, and driver assistance systems. Long-term tests keep cars for months to log reliability, real-world fuel use, and day-to-day usability. These features aim to reflect extended ownership rather than short test drives.
Autocar also publishes group tests and track-based evaluations. Comparison tests bring together several rivals on road and circuit. The brand assesses lap times, brake performance, and repeatability when relevant. It applies the same structure to city cars, family SUVs, sports cars, and supercars.
Buying and owning content forms another key strand. Autocar runs buyer’s guides, used car advice, and best-in-class round-ups. It looks at depreciation, servicing, warranty cover, and known faults. It offers model histories and key checks for popular used cars.
The outlet maintains extensive coverage of electric and hybrid vehicles. It reviews new EVs and plug-in hybrids with a focus on range, charging speed, and efficiency. It explores battery technology, charging infrastructure, and total cost of ownership. It also examines how legislation and incentives affect the shift to electrified cars.
Motorsport and performance cars appear regularly, especially where they link back to road technology. The brand tests performance derivatives and track-focused models. It analyses how racing programmes inform aerodynamics, materials, and powertrains. It features interviews with engineers, designers, and racing drivers.
Autocar has a strong digital and video presence alongside the print magazine. The website carries news, reviews, opinion columns, and feature stories. Video content includes walkaround reviews, track tests, drag races, and technology explainers. Social channels extend this coverage with short clips, images, and headlines.
Approach and style
Autocar emphasises independent judgement and technical understanding. Road test editors and writers often have engineering backgrounds or extensive testing experience. They use clear scoring systems, including star ratings, to compare cars. The brand focuses on objective measures but also reports subjective impressions in a consistent way.
Access to senior executives and engineers allows Autocar to report on future models and strategies. It publishes interviews with company bosses, designers, and product planners. It covers investment decisions, platform strategies, and factory plans. It aims to link boardroom choices to the cars that reach the road.
The writing style is direct and analytical. Articles prioritise factual detail over lifestyle angles. Charts, data panels, and specification tables support the text. Photography and video aim to show design details, interiors, and dynamic behaviour clearly.
Autocar balances enthusiast interest with buyer relevance. It covers niche performance cars and mass-market models with the same test framework. It highlights engineering innovation but also everyday usability and value. This combination positions the outlet between enthusiast titles and purely consumer-focused guides.
History and development
Autocar was first published in 1895, during the earliest years of the motor car. It is widely regarded as the world’s oldest car magazine. Early issues reported on the introduction of motor vehicles to Britain. They chronicled new designs, speed trials, and the gradual change from horse-drawn transport.
The magazine originally appeared under the title “The Autocar.” Over time it evolved into a weekly news-led publication for motorists. It followed the growth of domestic manufacturers and the expansion of road networks. It documented milestones such as mass production, the rise of the family car, and post-war rebuilding.
Throughout the twentieth century, Autocar developed structured road tests and comparison formats. It helped establish many conventions of modern car journalism. It introduced systematic performance figures, fuel economy measurements, and handling assessments. These methods allowed direct comparison across classes and generations.
Ownership eventually moved into Haymarket Media Group, within its specialist motoring division. Under this structure, Autocar expanded its editorial team and test resources. It broadened coverage to include more global models and markets. It also built closer links with sister titles focused on motorsport and other motoring niches.
The launch of Autocar’s website brought continuous online coverage alongside the weekly print cycle. Digital publishing allowed faster reporting of news, scoops, and launches. Video and interactive content added extra depth to reviews and features. The brand adapted print features into digital formats while keeping the same testing standards.
Autocar has also expanded internationally through licensed editions. Local partners publish versions in markets such as India and parts of Asia. These editions combine global content with local testing and news. This network extends the influence of the brand beyond the UK.
Standing and influence
Autocar holds a long-standing reputation as a reference point for car reviews. Its road test verdicts are watched by manufacturers, dealers, and serious buyers. A high rating can support marketing claims and showroom messaging. Critical reviews can influence product revisions and mid-cycle updates.
The brand hosts annual awards that recognise cars, engineers, designers, and industry leaders. These awards draw on the testing programme and industry reporting. They reflect both product excellence and strategic achievement. The events reinforce Autocar’s position within the automotive sector.
Autocar’s longevity and archive give it a unique historical perspective. It can compare new models with predecessors stretching back many decades. It documents how design, safety, and performance standards have changed. This context adds depth to modern reviews and industry analysis.
Today Autocar operates as a multi-platform motoring brand. It combines a weekly magazine, a busy news website, a large video channel, and active social feeds. Its focus remains cars, testing, and the business of making and selling them. Its standing rests on continuity of purpose, technical rigour, and close engagement with the car industry.