Sony has revealed its new PS5 controller, and in the process it's ditched the iconic DualShock name in favor of a new moniker… DualSense.

When I first saw pictures of the PS5 DualSense controller I was really unsure. And to an extent, I'm still not sold… but it is slowly winning me around.

I've grown up with PlayStation, I've owned every generation of Sony's games console, and thus I've grown accustomed to the DualShock's size, shape and design. It's comforting and familiar, like a warm embrace from a loved one, every time I pick it up.

It's little surprise then, that I approach the new PS5 DualSense controller with trepidation, as it brings the biggest shift in design for the key accessory since Sony stuck dual analogue sticks on the original DualShock back in 1997.

The acid test will be the first time I pick the DualSense controller up, to see how it feels, how it’s weighted, whether it still feels 'PlayStation', or like a third-party impostor. For now, all I have to go on are the pictures, so here are five things I'm liking about the new PS5 controller right now… and one thing I'm worried about.

• Everything we know about the PS5 so far
• The latest on pre-orders and the PS5 price
• Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s answer to the PS5

👍 Like: The minimalist color palette

The iconic green, red, blue, pink of the triangle, circle, x and square buttons have a special place in my heart, but I'm digging the simplicity of the new PS5 controller. 

Black, gray and white are the only colors present (aside from lighting) and it moves the controller into the modern era, away from the - admittedly slightly dated - DualShock aesthetic. 

I'm a fan, and if this is a teaser of what to expect from the palette and design of the PS5 console, well color me intrigued. 

👍 Like: The USB-C charging port

Whether or not the new PS5 controller will support wireless charging remains to be seen - this is purely a rumor for now - but the new images released by Sony seem to show a USB-C port on the rear.

It's not exactly a surprise inclusion. The DualShock 3 came with a miniUSB port, the DualShock 4 packed microUSB, so it makes perfect sense for the DualSense controller to come with its respective era's most popular port. 

USB-C provides the ability for faster charging, and the cable can be plugged in either way round, which should make sticking in charging cables, or sliding the controller into a docking station easier.

👍 Like: Front-only illumination

Huzzah! Sony has ditched the large light bar from the DualShock 4 for the new DualSense controller. Instead, we get just front-illumination to show you that your controller is on and, if you have several connected, a different color for each player.

The original DualShock 4 only had the rear light, and as it was angled downwards, it really wasn't easy to see the status of the controller. Sony updated it and brought a slimline light bar to the touch pad as well, but two light sources seemed excessive.

So with the DualSense, I'm happy to see a sleek light bar running around the border of the touch pad. 

👍 Like: Headphone jack & microphone mute

It wasn't revealed in the original posting from Sony, but since it has transpired that the PS5 DualSense controller will retain the headphone jack from the DualShock 4. 

It means you'll be able to plug your dedicated gaming headset into the controller, so a 14 year-old can scream expletives at you as they kill you for the 16th time in 30 minutes.

I'm liking the retention of the physical port for those who need it, but I'm also hoping there will be full PlayStation audio over Bluetooth available as well.

Another nice addition to the DualSense controller is the microphone mute button, which will be much easier to hit than the inline mute button on your headphone cable. 

You don't even need a headset either, as the controller has a microphone built in too, allowing you to chat with friends without that mad dash around your home to find a headset just as your game is starting. Something I've had to deal with more than once.

👍 Like: PS Button is the shape of the PS Logo

Simple, but ever so pretty. I want to press it right now.

👎 Dislike: The size of the new PS5 controller

This is my real worry with the PS5 DualSense controller. From the initial pictures it looks bigger and bulkier than the previous DualShock generation.

I overlaid a DualShock 4 outline over the top of the DualSense (above) - assuming Sony keeps the D Pad and buttons the same size - and the new controller does appear wider and taller.

Looking at the side profile, it also seems chunkier, with the handles appearing thicker, and with less of an arch shape to them compared to the DualShock 4. 

Sony has said it's taken steps to "lessen the weight of the controller as much as possible", but my initial impressions makes me think it could tip the scales at more than the 210g the DualShock 4 weighed, making it the heaviest PlayStation controller to date.

Sony has kept the dimensions of its DualShock series almost the same, and the DualSense PS5 Controller could see the biggest size increase since the first DualShock tool over from the original, analogue-less PS controller.

PlayStation controller sizes and weights

• PlayStation controller (1994): 148mm x 93mm x 53.3mm, 133g
• DualShock (1997): 157 mm × 95 mm × 55 mm, 210g
• DualShock 2 (2000): 157 mm × 95 mm × 55 mm, 210g
• DualShock 3 (2007): 160 mm × 97 mm × 55 mm, 192g
• DualShock 4 (2013): 162 mm × 98 mm × 52 mm, 210g

I'm prepared (and hopeful) to be proven wrong. Perhaps Sony has kept the general feel of its iconic PlayStation controller with the DualSense and it'll feel just as comforting as previous generations.

Yet, there's no getting away from the size of the change Sony has made with the PS5 controller, and for die-hard PlayStation fans there could be a fair period of adjustment required.

• The DualSense controller is splitting opinion, with some calling it 'ugly'

The first specs of Royole's new foldable phone have been revealed, with details of the Royole FlexPai 2 - the second generation flexible handset from the Chinese firm - claiming "significant improvements in every possible way."

The FlexPai 2 was revealed as part of a larger announcement which focused on Royole's new flexible display technology, with the aforementioned handset set to be the first device to use it.

Royole is calling its new screen tech '3rd Generation Cicada Wing', and claims the technology "offers 50% increase of brightness and delivers enhanced performance, including high contrast, wide color gamut [and a] fast response time."

The panel apparently also provides enhanced viewing angles and will provide "the smoothest folding experience in the industry even after more than 200,000 bends."

These are bold claims, especially when you consider the rather lackluster design, build and interface of the original Royole FlexPai.

• Foldable phones: every flexible handset we know about
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• Samsung has two foldable phones: Galaxy Fold | Galaxy Z Flip

Royole FlexPai 2 specs

Royole hasn't revealed the full details on the new FlexPai 2 foldable phone, but we do know it will come with a large, 7.8-inch external 'outie' display with a 4:3 aspect ratio. 

It will also feature a new hinge system which is more robust and wearproof than the mechanics on the previous generation handset. Plus it will apparently also pack "state-of-art computing, memory [and] structural material technologies."

There's currently no word on the FlexPai 2 price, but we do know it'll be launched officially sometime during Q2 (April-June) this year. 

In the meantime, here are the best prices for foldable phones on the market now:

• This is the best foldable phone concept we've seen so far

There's a new rebooted, 'classic' Nokia phone. Following on from the rebooted 3310 and 8110, the Nokia 5310 is the third handset in a slowly growing series of feature phones from Finnish smartphone manufacturer HMD Global.

It's a low-cost 2G device (meaning no mobile internet) and comes with a 2.4-inch display, 8MB of RAM, 16MB of storage, SD card slot (up to 32GB in size), dual stereo front facing speakers, FM radio, a 1,200mAh battery which can last a month and dedicated music buttons on the side.

At €39 (around $40, £35, AU$70) the Nokia 5310 is certainly inexpensive, and is aimed mainly at developing markets when it goes on sale in March. Although HMD is hoping that this 'classic' device will also appeal to those with found memories of the Nokia brand and its former devices - however, with this latter point, it may have missed the boat.

When we think back to the 'classic' Nokia handsets of the 90s and 00s, the 5310 doesn't make the cut. It doesn't have the same nostalgic charm as the 3310, or the famous movie tie-in as the 8110. It's just another old Nokia phone.

• Read our Nokia 3310 (2017) review
• Check out our hands on: Nokia 8110 4G review
• Best Nokia phones: find the right Nokia device for you

The true Nokia Originals

The rebooted Nokia 3310 grabbed headlines and tugged nostalgic heartstrings when it was revealed during the relaunch of the Nokia name on phones announcement at MWC 2017. 

HMD Global’s gamble of rebooting an icon became a powerful marketing tool for getting the Nokia name back in the minds of consumers, even if those consumers were more likely to buy one of its new smartphones, rather than a 2.5G feature phone. 

However, the die had been cast and the “Nokia Originals” feature phone range was born.

A year later at MWC 2018, HMD was at it again with the introduction of its second reboot, the Nokia 8110 4G. Also known as the banana phone thanks to its unique curvature, and the inspiration behind Neo’s slider handset in the Matrix movie, the 8110 had the pulling power to capture the imagination of consumers once again.

It didn’t make as big a splash as the 3310 did the year before, but it was still interesting enough to turn heads, plus the addition of 4G allowed for a better onscreen experience with the likes of Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp all available (albeit as much simpler apps).

These phones weren’t exactly cutting edge, nor were they offering the best bang-for-your-buck, there were (and are) better specced Nokia features phones for the same, or lower price - but the iconic names allowed the brand to stand out from the pack. 

We were finally seeing, after many years of stuck in black rectangle doldrums, a mobile brand doing something different and creating devices which got people excited again.

With the third addition to the Nokia Originals range we were hoping for another major handset to go through the reboot treatment. There are so many better options than the Nokia 5310 to choose from.

Seven superior options

How about the 8210 from 1999? A tiny and iconic handset which would have shown off how much modern tech it’s possible to cram into a compact form factor. Perhaps HMD didn’t want something quite this old, the original Nokia 5310 did launch in 2007 after all (the same year the iPhone did by the way, talking of icons). 

The Nokia N95 arrived the same year as the 5310. At the time of its launch, it was a gargantuan handset with a two-way slider, stereo speakers, impressive 5MP camera and sizable 2.6-inch display. Plenty of scope then, to produce an exciting rebooted handset.

It could even consider the QWERTY keyboard-toting Nokia E71 from 2008 or the mini PDA Nokia Communicator series - especially as there’s a hole in the QWERTY-keyboard phone market now after TCL shut down its BlackBerry Mobile operation.

And if HMD really wanted to gamble, how about the 'teardrop' Nokia 7600, 'lipstick' Nokia 7280 or the gaming-focused Nokia N-Gage for a walk on the wild side?

Of course, price is always going to play a huge part in the product of low-cost feature phones, and HMD can’t spend huge amounts on R&D for handsets which will sell below the $50 mark. 

The N95 and N-Gage will likely require more time and money to produce 2020 versions, but there are a raft of classic Nokia handsets which still hold strong nostalgic value. So thanks, HMD Global, for rebooting another Nokia Original, but for the fourth entry to the series please do consider these options.

• This is Nokia's - if not the - greatest phone of all time

"Our door camera is offline… not sure why?"

That's the message I received from my partner one afternoon. It was a Wednesday, I was at work, and so was she. Our smart home... was dead. 

For all the positive reviews, in-your-face marketing, consumer hype, and billions of dollars driven into its R&D, the smart home has a major Achilles heel that's completely out of your control. The internet. 

Until your internet connection fails, you don't realize just how crucial it is. If you think about it, it's obvious, but the point of a smart home is you don't have to think about it: it's there, in the background, quietly taking care of things and letting you get on with your life. 

All the useful little features – the various 'life hacks' companies are so desperate for you to lap up as they roll out yet another feature, update or brand new device – are all rendered useless. 

I was the first home that day, but not until late in the evening. By then my internet provider's call centers were long closed, and any hope of an instant resolution was lost. 

From smart to simple

It's only when the internet connection to my house failed, I realized just how many devices relied on it. 

My smart speakers around the house would bark at me that they were struggling to connect to a network if I dared utter "okay Google", and the Google Home Hub smart display in the bedroom displayed a message saying it couldn't connect – no nice wallpaper pictures, no date or time, even though it had power. Just the error message.

With no voice assistants on the smart speakers or display, I wasn’t able to ask for the Philips Hue lights to be switched on, the temperature to be increased via the Nest Thermostat E, or my robot vacuum to give the floor a quick sweep.

It wasn’t just voice commands. With no Wi-Fi at home, the apps on my smartphone were also redundant. I wasn’t without lights, heating or a functioning vacuum, of course. All were manually available – a flick of a switch, the turn of a dial and the press of a button allowed for basic functionality – but any advanced features were unavailable.

Without the internet, functionality of my smart TV and games console was also reduced. Access to TV apps such as Netflix and Prime Video were out of the question, as was online gaming.

And then there was the device which originally alerted us to the issue – the Nest Hello doorbell. We received an email that it had gone offline, which led to an investigation on my smartphone and the realization that our home had lost its internet connection, rather than the Hello developing a fault.

While the loss of the doorbell feature allowing us to make sure our Amazon package was delivered safely to a neighbor was slightly frustrating, it was the loss of the security monitoring that was of a greater concern.

The Hello is able to record a few seconds of footage any time movement or sound is detected, and alerts you via a smartphone notification. Without an internet connection though, the camera is unable to record any footage, as it’s stored directly in the cloud, rather than locally on the device.

Thankfully, we didn’t have any issues during the downtime, but it does make you re-evaluate just how much trust you can have in these products, as many smart home security cameras operate in a similar way.

The smarts return, with a possible solution

In all, our internet was out for just over 20 hours: in the grand scheme of things not a huge problem, in isolation. 

However, it wasn’t just our property. Our internet provider had issues with its broadband across the region, which meant we won’t have been the only smart home to go offline.

For just less than a day, it was nothing more than a mild inconvenience, but in a situation where your internet connection possibly breaks for multiple days, and as smart devices become more ingrained into the working of our homes, the issues here are real. They need addressing if the technology can be trusted to effectively control key areas of our life.

If you can't rely on your smart home, integrating more complex devices and tasks into it will be a difficult sell. Perhaps the introduction of 5G could provide assistance, with the traditional cabled internet line into your home working in tandem with a 5G connection. If one goes down, the other seamlessly takes over.

In the UK, mobile carrier EE announced a router which offered this back in May 2018 (although it was 4G and not 5G), but mobile networks are still not widely available enough, nor support this level or usage for this product to be viable for the mass population.

As the 5G network roll out continues, bringing next-gen coverage and speeds to more areas, this dual-connection router becomes a far more viable option, and it may just solve the problem for our smart homes.

• Not put off? These are the best smart home devices

HMD Global (the firm behind Nokia phones) has confirmed that it will launch its first 5G phone on March 19, ahead of its appearance in the upcoming James Bond film, No Time To Die.

You can catch a glimpse of the new 5G handset (which could be the rumored Nokia 10/Nokia 9.2) in the 90 second video teaser (which TechRadar was given an early preview of), where Agent Nomi - played by Lashana Lynch - uses Google Assistant to bring up photos, navigation directions and send text messages using her voice. You might say, she has no time to dial. (ahem)

We already knew that there was a Nokia phone launch coming up, after HMD Global posted a Bond-themed teaser, and it's likely we'll see more than just a new 5G phone announced at the event with previous launches from the firm bringing multiple new devices.

• The 5G phone could be the Nokia 10
• There are plenty of 5G phones already available
• The Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 3310 will also feature in the movie

What do we know about the Nokia 5G phone?

While the only official detail on the upcoming handset is the fact it will have 5G support, we can glean additional information from the teaser video.

Agent Nomi says "36 hours in pursuit, and we're still going strong" as the camera flicks to the corner of the phone screen where the battery level reads 20%. That's a clear nod towards a potential two-day battery life, which hopefully means the new Nokia 5G phone packs in a big battery.

It also shows us the new 5G phone is set to have a centralized screen notch for the seflie camera. The handset appears to have a large display which takes up the majority of the front, but there's a small chin housing the Nokia logo.

We get a look at the rear of the handset too, with a large, circular camera bump seemingly housing four cameras clustered round a central flash. 

Below the camera protrusion, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner can be seen, while there looks to be a headphone jack on the top edge of the handset, and a power button and volume rocker on the right, plus a quick-launch key on the left.

A shot of the camera app reveals a macro lens, along with icons for a standard shooting lens and a wide-angle option. Below the icons, a number of modes are clear, including Photo, Portrait, Video and Night.

Unsurprisingly, the Nokia 5G phone appears to be running a relatively stock version of Android - as is HMD Global's way - and from a couple of shots of the handset being held, it could have a tall, 21:9 aspect ratio display.

All The Time To Wait

The new 5G phone won't be the only handset bearing the iconic phone maker's name in the film, with the Nokia 7.2 and Nokia 3310 also confirmed to make an appearance.

You won't be able to see the trio in action on the big screen for while though. 

Originally slated for an April 2 release in the UK and April 10 in the US, the No Time To Die release date has been pushed back to November 12 for the UK, and November 25 for the US, amid coronavirus fears.

However, we won't have to wait anywhere near as long to learn all about the handset 007 will be wielding later this year with Nokia's launch event on March 19 still scheduled to go ahead.

• Billie Eilish's Bond theme for No Time To Die is a big improvement on last time

The Honda Civic is a family hatchback that offers practicality while still retaining somewhat of a sportier look. The Civic Sport Line takes that a step further with a racier aesthetic inside and out - for those on the school run wishing they were perhaps somewhere else.

Starting at £19,805 ($21,750), the Honda Civic is an affordable option for those looking for space for kids, shopping, luggage or life in general. However, the price jumps as you move up the grades, and the range-topping EX Sport Line (if we ignore the Type-R) will set you back £25,510.

Add in a splash of metallic paint (like the Obsidian Blue on ours) and you’re looking at £26,035.

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Honda Civic Sport Line design and drive

As we’ve mentioned, the Honda Civic EX Sport Line comes with a sportier look than the entry-level model. Additional body work includes a low-level rear spoiler which sits on the shelf splitting the rear window in two, a front and side skirts, and a large, full-width rear diffuser - providing better aerodynamics.

You also get larger, 17-inch black wheels and additional black trim around the windows, adding to the sporty aesthetic.

The body work that runs through the rear does reduce visibility, which is further reduced by the addition of the spoiler on the Sport Line, which cuts out a chunk of the view behind. The wing mirrors are, however a reasonable size providing you with a decent sight line out of each side of the car.

Heading inside, and the red stitching on the seats, door panels and steering wheel are another nod towards the Sport Line credentials. The seats are comfortable, and there’s enough room in the back to accommodate a couple of adults, or a trio of kids.

There’s good news for rear passengers (although, sadly not anyone who gets stuck with the middle sport) as their seats are also heated, along with the two up front. As this is a family hatchback, the Civic also offers up a sizable boot, with space for a couple of large flight cases and a number of additional bags.

The cabin is spacious and practical, and putting your foot on the clutch and pressing the Start/Stop button to the right of the steering wheel brings the Civic Sport Line to life.

It may only have a 1.0 liter engine, but it does feature a turbo and Honda’s VTEC technology, which means it still has the ability to surprise and excite. This isn’t a car which is going to win you any drag races, but it’s still capable of propelling you from 0-62mph in around 11 seconds, with a stop speed of 126mph.

The agile handling adds to the fun, allowing you to flick the Honda Civic boisterously through corners with the car sticking to the road well, while the large brakes ensure you stop quickly. The six speed gear shift is nimble, making changing up and down a doddle.

Honda Civic Sport Line specs and tech

The Honda Civic comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display (in the SR spec line and above) at the heart of its center console, providing access to navigation, audio, phone calling and various other car settings.

It runs the firm’s Honda Connect interface, which is more basic than some of its rivals, but overall it’s still functional. The interface is intuitive, and there are physical buttons to the right of the screen providing quick access to the core features (Home, Audio, Phone, Nav).

The various functions do take a little while to load, but it’s unlikely to cause any real issues. You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to stream music to the car’s stereo, and also make and receive calls.

There are on-wheel buttons allowing you to manage incoming and outgoing calls, as well as adjust audio volume and skip radio stations/tracks. The EX Sport Line Civic comes with an 11 speaker set-up (an upgrade from the eight in lower specs), providing all-encompassing sound with solid bass response.

If you’re considering the Honda Civic, there’s a way to improve the infotainment experience - by plugging in your smartphone. Honda Connect supports Android Auto and Apple Carplay, which sees your phone’s core apps mirrored on the Civic’s display.

A USB port resides behind the wireless charging pad (with the pad offering an easy way to top up your phone, if it supports the wire-free technology). Plug your phone into the car and the Civic’s interface will change, giving you access to core apps such as Apple Maps, Google Maps, Spotify, messages, WhatsApp and more.

We found that when using Apple CarPlay, the interface was faster and more responsive. While the navigation offered by Honda’s stock system worked well, we found Apple and Google’s mapping apps more feature rich.

There’s another digital display in the Honda Civic, with the second panel located in the instrument cluster. While it doesn’t take up the whole space, with physical engine temperature and petrol gauges flanking it, it’s still a reasonable size and provides useful additional information such as speed limits, navigation directions and caller ID alongside the standard revs, speed, time and outdoor temperature.

An array of driver aids are available too, from adaptive cruise control and lane assist to take the pressure of driving long distances to automatic wipers and lights, giving you fewer things to remember as you go along.

The automatic lights include high-beam assist, which will see the ultra-bright lights switched on when the Civic detects no on-coming traffic in poorly lit areas. However, we found that sometimes it would get a little confused, switching on when other vehicles were around.

Luckily, you can turn off the auto high-beam function if you do find it troublesome.

There are also blind-spot indicators on the wing mirrors which handily alert you to cars cruising alongside you, and if you try and move out while someone is there the Civic will beep at you, alerting you to the impending danger.

Pop the Honda Civic into reverse and you’ll get a view from the rear camera appear on-screen, helping to guide you into a spot, or maneuvering in a tricky situation.

The Honda Civic Sport Line offers something different to your standard family hatchback. It still retains the practicalities you want - 5 seats and decent boot space - but with an edgier look and handling that wouldn't feel out of place on a track.

It doesn't have the most advanced technology on the market, but there's still a wide selection of features and what is there, works well. If you're looking to move away from the norm, the Civic EX Sport Line provides an interesting alternative. 

• John McCann is getting behind the wheel to give you an alternative look at the wealth of cars – and the tech inside them – available today. From super-fast sports cars to tech-packed hatchbacks, he'll take you through a range of makes, models, power and price tags in his regular TR Drives column.

Depending on where you live, 5G may already be a part of your life, but for most people the benefits of the next generation mobile network are yet to be realized.

While 5G launched in 2019, in reality only a handful of cities around the world have been treated to the tech so far, and a pricey 5G phone is required to take advantage of the new data speeds.

Now, in early 2020, more than 45 mobile carriers have launched 5G offerings in 20 countries, including the likes of the US, UK and Australia, and we've just seen more 5G handsets announced, such as the new Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

While 5G phones are still out of many people's price range there is hope on horizon, as chipset maker Qualcomm has hinted that more affordable options are not far away.

Speaking during a briefing for the firm's new Snapdragon X60 modem, Qualcomm's Business Development Director, Vikrant Jain said that we will "see exciting products over the next few weeks at very interesting price points."

We were expecting to see a glut of new smartphones launched during MWC 2020 between February 24-27, but with the annual mobile show cancelled due to fears over Novel Coronavirus the launches we were expecting to see that week may be delayed until March.

However, we're still likely only weeks away for a number of announcements from a variety of manufacturers with the likes of Sony, Huawei, Honor, TCL, ZTE and Nokia all rumored to have new handsets to reveal in the next month or so.

While it will be great to see more affordable 5G phones hit the market, we could see handsets with even greater 5G capabilities as soon as later this year thanks to the aforementioned Snapdragon X60 chip.

• Sony Xperia 2: Sony's next flagship could be 5G
• The Huawei P40 is expected to launch in March
• Apple may not give the iPhone 12 5G capabilities

The need for more speed, but not quite yet

The Snapdragon X60 is the world's first modem to offer 5G mmWave-sub6 aggregation and sub-6 carrier aggregation across FDD, TDD.

While that may sound like nonsense, the upshot of this support for network capabilities is smartphones with the X60 chip inside them will be able to work with more 5G networks around the world which, Qualcomm claims, will deliver wider coverage and faster download and upload data speeds in the process.

It's not just phones which need a modem with these capabilities, mobile carriers also need to upgrade their networks to provide the enhanced service.

These upgrades are expected to take place during 2020 for most carriers in the US, Europe, China, Japan and Korea, with the rest of the world having to wait longer for the support to reach their shores.

There's no firm date on when we can expect the first smartphones packing the X60 modem to roll off production lines - it could be later this year in devices such as the Google Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 20, but it may not be until 2021.

• Ericsson sets record 5G speed

The Bentley Continental GT starts at $198,500 / £159,100. The model we drove, north of £190,000 (around $248,000), but the price is almost irrelevant. This is much more than a price tag. It's elegance, comfort, status, serenity.

The admiring glances, the knowing nods, the open-mouthed, finger-pointing excitement as you effortlessly glide along don't go unnoticed. Sure, the Orange Flame paint on our Continental GT did make it stand out from the crowd even more, but the attention is warranted. 

When it comes to finding the best driving experience there is, the Bentley Continental GT is hard to beat. 

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Bentley Continental GT design

The original Bentley Continental GT, which arrived in 2003, wasn’t the sharpest looker, but the design has been refined and updated over the years, and the latest model has a sleek, contemporary aesthetic inside and out.

A large, shining grille dominates the front profile, with delicate pinched bodywork lines running the length of the vehicle. Its wide, low stance provides the Continental GT a powerful, dominating presence and the oval lights and exhausts on the rear provide pleasing symmetry to the eye.

The doors are wide, heavy, substantial. As they open, the illuminated Bentley footplate greets you as you step over the deep threshold and into the driver’s seat. Entry and exit does take some practice, as you need to really swing your leg in and out of the low driving position.

Once in the seat, however, you’ll unlikely want to leave. Close the door and the excellent acoustic insulation shuts out the world around you. A small, motorized arm appears over your shoulder, delivering your seat belt to your hand. 

We affectionately dubbed it the 'seat belt butler'. It’s certainly not an essential feature, but we now wish every car had one (it’s not limited to Bentley’s though, we’ve also seen it in Audis). One negative point here though, the motorized arm feels a little flimsy, and lacks the premium finish of the rest of the car. It’s minor, but it's something you’ll have to be gentle with.

Click your belt in and turn focus back to the cockpit in front of you and the Continental GT makes you feel at home. The front seats are spacious and fantastically comfortable, with the quilted stitching matching the leather stitched door panels for a premium finish.

The two rear seats are more for show than anything else. Tall front seat passengers will leave little-to-no legroom in the back, meaning the rear is really only viable for young children.

Move your hands over the dials, to the end of the control stalks, to the rear of the paddle shift switches and to the inside of the door release handle and you’ll find the same knurled finish. 

Pleasingly distinctive to the touch, it’s another small detail on the Continental GT which reminds you you’re in something rather special.

Bentley Continental GT drive

Unsurprisingly, the Bentley Continental GT drive is sublime. Smooth, comfortable and effortless, it also has the ability to thrill thanks to the 6 liter, twin turbocharged W12 under the hood.

Put pedal to the metal and the Continental GT can propel you from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds. For a car which weighs over 2 tons, that’s some serious performance which leaves many rivals in its dust.

On tarmac, the ride is blissful, but even when we took the GT a little off road - to a car park located in a field - we were able to continue in comfort.

You’re able to manually adjust the ride-height of the Continental GT easily using the main touchscreen display, providing additional clearance for those times you veer off the long drive up to your mansion house.

There are few drive modes available, with the standard Bentley mode (denoted by the Bentley B icon above the circular mode selector) the default setting which balances a comfortable ride with the performance push when required - it’s the mode we used most often and is great for both cruising and brief bursts of acceleration.

However, if you really want to put the W12 to work, click into sport mode. The suspension stiffens up (but it’s still far from uncomfortable), steering becomes more responsive and the exhaust becomes raspier - which complements the sheer force produced when you push the GT to show you what a luxury superyacht on wheels can really deliver.

The wing mirrors are large, as too are the blind spot indicator lights mounted on them (it takes a short while to become comfortable with their flashes), ensuring you're suitably warned when there's another vehicle alongside, helping you to avoid pricey collisions.

For the times when you’re touring, piling on the miles, Comfort is the drive mode you need, offering up the most comfortable of rides. You can enhance this even more by taking advantage of the built-in massage function in the driver and front passenger seats. 

Controlled, again, from the large main touchscreen, you can pick from five different types of massage, with a toggle for intensity too. Our favorite was ‘Wave’, which works all the way up and down your spine in a highly effective way.

If massage on the move isn’t quite your thing, the seats in the GT are also heated and air-cooled, which along with the climate control, ensures you’re always traveling at your most comfortable temperature - bliss.

Bentley Continental GT specs and tech

We've already mentioned the large, central display in the Bentley Continental GT a couple of times, and you won't be surprised that there is much more on offer here than just ride-height adjustment and the massage function.

Before you even get to using the touch screen, it has a party piece of its own. Approach the car and peer through the window and the dash appears to be just a panel of wood stretching from the instrument cluster to the passenger door.

Climb inside and press the ignition however, and the panel rotates to reveal the 12.3-inch display. It’s an impressive trick, with an added bonus of having a third side to it, housing traditional dials for compass, time and temperature - if you’d rather have something more refined than the large touch screen. A button below the section allows you to rotate through the three options.

Rotate back round to the display and the touch screen is bright and clear, and Bentley's interface is responsive and easy to navigate. It's not the quickest we've used, with the occasional noticeable pause as the system loads, but it doesn't get in the way of operation.

The satellite navigation is excellent, with highly detailed maps and points of interest, a smart search engine and clear instructions provide on the main display, on the screen in the instrument cluster and even on the HUD (heads up display).

You can also control audio playback from the large touch screen display, with DAB radio and Bluetooth smartphone connectivity available. 

The Continental GT also features a high-quality speaker system from Naim, which delivers incredibly crisp sound which can be fully tailored to your particular taste with individual on-screen controls for the sub-woofer, bass and treble.

Bentley ensures the interior of the Continental GT looks just as good at night, with delicate mood lighting in the foot wells, on the door panels and across the dash. You can even select from a range of colors, ensuring you get the look you want.

Talking of night... another feature here is the 'night vision camera', which can give you a live feed of the road ahead through a special night vision camera on the front of the car. This provides you with extra visibility when driving on dark roads - especially useful if you're winding your way down unlit country lanes.

That's not the only camera on the Bentley Continental GT either, as it has them all round its frame, providing you with a 360 degree, bird's eye view of the vehicle's surroundings.

This, along with parking sensors, makes parking and maneuvering this large car much easier, plus there's a main reversing camera too allowing you to clearly see what's behind you. It's a useful addition, as visibility from the rear window isn't the best.

Something which took a little bit of working out was the cruise control, with the controls on a stalk behind the left side of the steering wheel. We find on-wheel controls for cruise easier to master at-a-glance, but it didn't take long t work out the GT's way of doing things.

Combining the adaptive cruise control with a very good lane assist system, and the Continental GT could pretty much drive itself along motorways - although you'll need to keep your hands on the wheel at all times, and continue to pay attention to the road ahead. This isn't an autonomous car.

A glance down from the road, and the digital cockpit - a screen that replaces the traditional instrument cluster behind the wheel - and you can see a wealth of information. Core stats such as speed and fuel are displayed alongside detailed navigation and mapping functions, various car data sets and information on the music playing and the call list from your mobile phone.

However, with its HUD, the Continental GT ensures your eyes spend most of the time focused on the road as it projects key information such as the speed limit, your current speed and the next navigation instruction into your line-of-sight.

There's plenty of charging sockets for everyone's phones too, with two USB ports under the central arm rest up front, and a further two hidden below a sliding panel between the two rear seats - which also features two cup holders and a 12v port as well.

If you ever get the chance to drive a Bentley Continental GT, do it. It'll be unlike anything you've driven before it. The comfort, the power, the tech - it's a heady cocktail of premium excess and luxury and one that would be seriously addictive if it wasn't quite so expensive.

It's a fantastic experience, but one which may have ruined all other cars for us.

• John McCann is getting behind the wheel to give you an alternative look at the wealth of cars – and the tech inside them – available today. From super-fast sports cars to tech-packed hatchbacks, he'll take you through a range of makes, models, power and price tags in his regular TR Drives column.

The BMW 1 Series is the German firm’s entry-level vehicle, but just because it’s the baby of the range doesn’t mean it rolls up under-equipped.

In fact, if you’re willing to open your wallet, you can stuff the BMW 1 Series full of flagship car tech, but even if you don’t go option crazy there is a solid grounding of features for you to enjoy.

While the 1 Series starts at £24,430, we got behind the wheel of the M Sport, which starts at £27,230. However, once the various packages are added - including two technology packs - the asking price of our particular model reached £35,185.

It’s not exactly cheap then, but the BMW 1 Series isn’t a budget car, it’s a compact premium vehicle with an awful lot to offer.

• Kia ProCeed GT: enough tech bang for your buck
• Audi Q5 TFSI e: a plug-in hybrid SUV with a smooth, comfortable ride
• Honda CR-V: plenty of tech and oodles of space

BMW 1 Series design and drive

BMW has improved the design of the 1 Series, with the car now boasting a sportier, sleeker aesthetic. As we had the M Sport model, ours came with a rear spoiler to add to the sporty look.

The front is dominated by the large BMW grille, which glints in the sun and adds to the car’s macho stance. It’s a look we liked, but it’s not for everyone and for those who prefer softer, more rounded styling the 1 Series may be a little much.

Inside, and the premium feel continues, with soft touch plastic and leather comprising most of the dash and surrounding areas. It’s a smart look, and doesn’t look too cluttered thanks to a lot of controls being available on the large touch screen display - reducing the number of physical buttons required.

It’s a comfortable place to sit too, with the front sport seats nicely cradling you without squeezing you too tight. They’re heated as well (front seats only), along with the heated steering wheel.

Another nice touch are the cabin’s ambient lights. They were set to blue as default in our 1 Series, but you have the option to change to a number of other hues including white, red and green.

The light bars on the inside of the doors (above) are particularly eye-catching and provide a calming ambiance at night.

The three seats in the back provide enough room for kids or a couple of adults, while the boot provides a suitable storage area for a couple of large suitcases, the weekly shop or a pram.

In terms of drive, we had the 6 speed manual at our disposal, and along with the 1.5l engine the 1 Series delivered effective speed off the line and its light, nimble steering made it easy to flick through corners.

You can comfortably cruise at high speed too, and the insulated cabin ensures road noise is kept to a minimum for a relaxing experience. Press the Sport button, and the suspension stiffens and there’s a little more juice in the accelerator pedal if you’re feeling racier.

One slight niggle we had was putting the car into reserve. You’ve got to push the gear stick all the way to the left, but then slightly down, before going up. Sounds relatively easy, but in practice it’s far from a fluid experience. It will take a while to master.

BMW 1 Series specs and tech 

The BMW 1 Series is one of the cars moving in-car tech forward, and that can be seen from something as simple as its USB ports. There are four in total, but only one - the port between the cup holders and wireless phone charging pad - is the traditional size.

The other three (one under the central armrest, the other two accessible to the rear seat passengers) are all USB-C ports. This newer port provides faster charging, and is slowly being embraced by phone manufacturers.

What it means, however, is you’ll likely need to buy yourself a new charging cable for your phone if you want to use these USB-C ports - very few smartphones are bundled with a suitable cable, although it’s likely to improve in the coming years. Still, the cables aren’t expensive and once you’ve got them you can enjoy faster charging in your car.

The wireless charging pad - compatible with most wireless charging phones including the more recent iPhones - is on an angle and needs you to slide your phone down, into it where it will hold it in place. This stops the phone sliding about while you’re on the move, ensuring constant charging.

Shifting attention to the large 10.25-inch display in the center console, and we found BMW’s interface to be relatively intuitive, easy to use and responsive. 

It’s easy to tap in a destination into the nav (the nav is very good), find a digital radio station or connect your smartphone via Bluetooth which allows you to make and receive hands-free calls, as well as stream music to the 1 Series’ audio system.

Speaking of audio, the upgraded Harman/Kardon speaker system in our 1 Series provided wonderfully crisp audio, with a powerful sub woofer bringing deep bass reverberation.

If you prefer physical controls, the BMW 1 Series retains the iDrive control wheel by the gear stick, although we found it a clunky way to move around the on-screen options. Most of the time, using our fingers on the touch screen was much quicker.

You don’t have to use BMW’s interface though, as the 1 Series supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And what’s even better is it supports wireless connectivity for these services, which means you don’t even need to dig out a USB cable to use them.

It means you can get your key phone apps - such as Apple Maps, Google Maps, Spotify, messages and more - on the main screen of the car with minimal fuss.

There is another screen on offer too, with an 8.8-inch cluster display behind the steering wheel which feeds you a host of useful information. Speed and revs are there as standard, and there flank the sat nav map which provides clear turn-by-turn directions.

We’re not done there either, as there’s also the option to get a HUD (heads up display) on the 1 Series, which sees additional information projected onto the windscreen. 

As you look out the car this information appears to hover just above the hood - not high enough to be in the way, but close enough to your line of sight to safely check your speed or next direction cue. In sport mode, you get a rev bar here as well, allowing you to nail those gear changes.

The steering wheel comes with a complement of buttons, allowing you to adjust volume and skip tracks, as well as change audio input between the likes of your phone and the radio. There’s also cruise control settings on-wheel, which make it easy to set your cruise limit.

Less flashy features, but ones which are certainly useful, include climate control, lane assist, automatic wipers and lights and blind spot warning lights on the wing mirrors - all of which make the BMW 1 Series easier, and less taxing to drive.

When you do manage to wrestle the car into reverse, you’ll find there’s a good quality rear camera to help guide you into places, and sensors all around the vehicle to ensure you don’t have a nasty collision.

If you're willing to splash the cash a little on the optional technology packs, the BMW 1 Series can offer you a vast wealth of features and gadgetry - there's even voice and gesture control options if you're feeling particularly flush.

It's not all about the flashy toys though, the 1 Series also delivers on the road. It's comfortable, quiet and with enough power and precision steering to provide some thrills along the way.

• John McCann is getting behind the wheel to give you an alternative look at the wealth of cars – and the tech inside them – available today. From super-fast sports cars to tech-packed hatchbacks, he'll take you through a range of makes, models, power and price tags in his regular TR Drives column.

The Kia ProCeed aims to provide good looks, versatility, and agility in one relatively affordable package.

Aimed mainly at couples and young families, there’s plenty of luggage space plus enough room for two adults, along with a couple of kids in the back.

The base model of the ProCeed starts at £24,290, but we got behind the wheel of the almost top-of-the-range GT 1.6 T-GDi, which will set you back £28,285.

That puts the ProCeed in a competitive place, under-cutting the big names with only a few compromises along the way.

• Audi Q5 TFSI e: plug-in hybrid SUV with a smooth, comfortable, quiet ride
• Honda CR-V 2019: plenty of tech and oodles of space
• Kia e-Niro: the EV for the people

Kia ProCeed GT design and drive

The Kia ProCeed GT is long and low, providing a sporty look which hints that this particular car isn’t a slouch. It has a more aggressive stance than its sibling, the Kia Sportswagon, which provides it with a more professional, premium air compared to the more practical Sportswagon.

Pop yourself into the driving seat, and the sports seats ensure you feel comfortably nestled in position. Headroom is at a bit of a premium, although we (189cm/6ft 2) were able to sit up once we’d put the seat in its lowest position.

Up front there’s ample room for driver and passenger, with the addition of heated seats and a heated steering wheel proving very welcome during the winter months.

The interior is functional rather than fashionable. There are splashes of leather on the door panels and parts of the dash, but there’s still a plentiful amount of plastic, and the controls lack the premium aesthetic finesse of those in the likes of Audis, BMWs and co. However, considering the price of the ProCeed it’s hardly an issue.

Something which is a little more frustrating is rear visibility. The rear window has been formed at a sweeping angle, to allow for a sportier look on the exterior, but this has led to a limited view when glancing in the rear view mirror.

It’s worse for taller drivers, where the angles don’t work out particularly well - while shorter drivers will get a slightly better line of sight. The wing mirrors are a good size though, and when it comes to parking a reversing camera is present to help guide - more on that later.

Press your foot on the brake and hit the Start/Stop button sneakily hidden just behind the wheel and the 1.6 litre engine rumbles to life, with a noticeable idle exhaust note.

Slide the automatic 7-speed gearbox to drive and you can pull away smoothly, with the ProCeed moving up the gears well. It does complain a little if you plant the accelerator at low speeds as it looks for traction, but if you’re a little softer it will glide up the ratios without a fuss.

The ride is noticeably stiff however, and you’ll feel the various lumps and bumps in the road surface. It’s not uncomfortable as such, but we’ve had smoother rides.

Things get even stiffer when you press the Sport button next to the shifter, but the exhaust also gets raspier, which is always nice when you want to have a bit of fun. You’ll feel the force of the turbo a little more in Sport mode, and there’s a paddle shift option if you want to have a little manual control between the gears.

Get out into the country a little and the ProCeed provides its moments of fun, staying relatively tight around corners and with enough pick-up and exhaust noise to keep you engaged on the straights.

It’s not going to win any drag races with a 0-62mph time of 7.2 seconds, but it’s far from a slouch, and the ProCeed tops out at 140mph.

You can cruise easily on motorways, and the adaptive cruise control is easy to use with on-wheel controls and the ability to set the distance between yourself and the car in front, with the ProCeed automatically slowing and accelerating with the leading vehicle.

Paired with lane assist, which keeps you in lane, the Kia ProCeed can be a relaxing way to burn through long journeys.

Kia ProCeed GT specs and tech

The Kia ProCeed GT has tech such as auto lights, auto wipers and climate control, but the main focus when it comes to technology is the 10.25-inch touchscreen display which sits atop the centre console.

Kia’s interface is simple to use, quick to load, and the screen is responsive to the touch, making interaction easy. The built-in sat-nav works well and relays directions to the 4.2-inch colour screen in the instrument cluster for safer, at-a-glance route checking.

This small display can show a host of different things, including fuel consumption, trip stats, tyre pressure, speed, and driver aides, plus it has a menu of various settings for more driving functions and car setup features.

Back to the larger display and you have access to DAB digital radio, and there’s also the option to pair your phone via Bluetooth and stream music from your handset to the car’s JBL speaker setup.

For those who want greater smartphone control, you can connect your iPhone or Android handset to the Kia ProCeed via the USB port hidden under a sliding cover in front of the gear shift.

This allows you to take advantage of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, giving you access to apps such as Apple Maps, Google Maps, Messages and Spotify - all from the touchscreen of the ProCeed.

Pop the Kia ProCeed into reverse and the view from the rear-facing camera is shown on-screen, with guidelines helping you navigate the car into parking spaces, along with parking sensors all the way around the car alerting you when you’re getting a little too close to other objects.

While it’s useful to have, it’s not the highest resolution camera we’ve seen on a car and it struggles in low light to provide a clear picture.

Overall though, the Kia ProCeed GT is well equipped and should satisfy most drivers with a penchant for tech options. It may not be the most premium, or powerful, in its class, but the compromises are few and far between, ensuring you still get plenty of bang for you buck.

• John McCann is getting behind the wheel to give you an alternative look at the wealth of cars – and the tech inside them – available today. From super-fast sports cars to tech-packed hatchbacks, he'll take you through a range of makes, models, power and price tags in his regular TR Drives column.

The Audi Q5 is a mid-range premium SUV with plenty of space for five people and their luggage. With the TFSI e though, it’s also trying to be a little friendlier to the planet thanks to its plug-in hybrid motor.

It means you can drive the Audi Q5 as a fully electric vehicle (EV) during short journeys, reducing petrol consumption (and cost) and harmful emissions. For longer journeys - and when you needed a boost of power - the petrol engine can step in to deliver a powerful punch.

The Audi Q5 55 TFSI e starts at $52,900 / £49,735, however we drove the quattro S Line Competition model, with a host of extras on it (including the comfort and sound pack, parking assistance pack and tour pack), which brought the total up to £61,805 (around $80,000).

It’s not cheap then, with the price tag moving it out of the range for many families, but for those families and business people that can afford the Audi Q5, you’re going to like what you find.

• Honda CR-V: plenty of tech and oodles of space
• Land Rover Discovery HSE: over ground, under ground, Rovering free 
• Kia e-Niro: an EV SUV for the people

Audi Q5 TFSI e design and drive

The Audi Q5 is a good looking car. It follows the design of Audi’s premium saloons, with a contoured hood and large grill giving it a powerful stance.

Open the door and slide inside, and you’ll appreciate the ride height of the Q5. Not too high as to prove tricky to enter and exit, but high enough to provide an excellent view of the road ahead. In fact, visibility is good all round, with large windows and plenty of cameras to guide you in the areas you can’t see - but more on those later.

Allow the door to close and the sound-proofing is instantly recognizable. The cabin is spacious, comfortable and quiet. Even when travelling at speed, the Audi Q5 does a good job of deadening exterior sounds and road noise, providing a more relaxing driving experience.

The seats provide ample support, and as well as being heated, in this model they also include a massage function. A small circular dial on the side of the two front seats (sorry rear-seat passengers, no heating or massage functions for you) allows you to control the location, type and intensity of massage. Initially we found the controls a little tricky, and we had to check the manual to completely understand what was required of us.

There are three different types to choose from; wave, stretch and knead, each with three levels of intensity to select. It’s a luxury feature, but one that works well and was welcome on our long drives.

Hit the road and the Audi Q5 cruises comfortably around town, and is effortless to shift on highways. The start/stop motor and automatic electronic parking brake which activate when you come to a stop provides some good petrol saving and the security that you won’t roll forward if you lift your foot off the brake.

Press the accelerator and the engine springs back to life and the parking brake releases itself, allowing you to pull away without any fuss.

The seven speed automatic gearbox works well, with smooth changes and very little lag between you pressing the pedal and power being provided to all wheels. If you’d like manual control over gear shifts, you can opt to use the paddle-shifters mounted just behind the wheel. They don’t get in the way of driving, but are equally easy to reach when required.

Really put your foot down, and despite the Audi Q5 being a mid-size SUV, it gets going at a healthy rate, with a 0-62mph time of just 5.3 seconds. It’s impressive, and means you can get up to speed quickly and easily, without feeling out of control.

This is possible thanks to the combination of petrol and electric power in the hybrid engine, but you don’t always have to burn fossil fuels to get around in the Audi Q5.

Audi Q5 TFSI e charging and EV mode

As we mentioned at the start, the Audi Q5 has the ability to drive as a fully electric vehicle. There’s a button on the center console - cleverly labeled ‘EV’ - which you can press to enter this all-electric mode.

There are a couple of limitations, however. First up, you’ll need to plug the Q5 into a charging station to top the battery up - the car isn’t able to replenish the battery (located at the rear of the car, under the trunk floor) by itself.

Plugging it into a standard three-pin UK residential socket and we were looking at around 11 hours for a full charge. That’s hardly speedy, but if you find a public charging station, Audi also provides a fast charging cable to top up at these, allowing you to cut that time down from hours to minutes.

You can always install a faster charger at your home too, although you may want to stick to overnight charging from a standard socket.

That’s because the Audi Q5’s battery only has a range of around 26 miles (depending on your driving style and road conditions). It’s not surprising, as generally most plug-ins offer this sort of all-electric range.

What it does provide is enough distance to pop to the shops, do the school run or, if you’re lucky, commute to work and back without using any fuel.

Finally, when in EV mode the top speed is limited to 84mph, while acceleration also takes a hit, with the 0-62mph time dropping to 14.3 seconds. Considering its short range, that’s not really an issue as it’s design for city driving.

Audi Q5 TFSI e specs and tech

The Audi Q5 TFSI e we got our hands on came fully laden with tech from more standard fare such as climate control, auto wipers and lights, and adaptive cruise control to smart lane assist, wireless phone charging, multiple cameras around the car and a couple of sizable displays.

The main display, located at the top of the central console was bright, clear and colorful, however it’s not a touchscreen. Instead you have to use the circular dial, sitting just in front of the gear shift, to navigate around the screen. 

Its rotating bezel allows you to cycle through menus and lists, it clicks in to select and you can move it in four directions (up, down, left, right) to open up additional menus or to go back.

There’s also a touch pad in front of that, with core buttons such as menu and back, for those who find the click wheel a little too much. After a short bit of practice we picked up the controls and were able to enter navigation addresses, select radio stations and adjust various car settings with ease.

The second display is behind the steering wheel, and takes up the entire space of the instrument cluster. This isn’t the first time we’ve come across Audi’s 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display, and we’re still big fans.

The default display is two large instrument gauges left and right, with a map in the middle. However, click the ‘View’ button on the steering wheel and the gauges shrink into the corners of the display, giving you a full-width map view.

Use the arrow keys on the wheel and you can skip between the map navigation, audio select, your phone’s call list (if connected via Bluetooth) and various vehicle information screens. It’s intuitive, feature rich and great to look at.

Switching focus back to the main display, and there’s DAB digital radio and the option to play audio from your smartphone via Bluetooth - however you can get deeper integration than that.

Plug your phone into the visible (and illuminated) USB port, and you’ll be able to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the Audi Q5. This gives you access to your handset’s maps and navigation app (such as Apple Maps and Google Maps), as well as other apps including Spotify, iMessage and WhatsApp.

That said, the stock navigation built into the Q5 is very good. It uses Google Maps, provides you with three route options to choose from for most journeys and comes with live traffic updates so give you accurate arrival times.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a modern smartphone which supports wireless charging you can place it on the charging pad which slides out from under the central armrest for cable-free charging (there’s a second USB port and an AUX port under the armrest too).

A nice touch on the Q5 is when you park up and open the driver’s door, a voice reminds you to take your phone from the charging pad, so you don’t leave it in the vehicle.

When you’re stopped (or stuck in traffic) you can dive into the menu of Audio’s MMI infotainment system and get live weather and news bulletins - a handy way to pass the time while you wait.

Audio - be it navigation instructions, a podcast or music - sounds fantastic thanks to the Bang and Olufsen sound system in the Audi Q5, which includes a powerful subwoofer for deep bass.

Another tech-inclusion we found useful was the multiple cameras all the way around the Q5. Put the car in reverse and you’ll be shown two camera views - one shot of behind the bar and another birds-eye-view from above, which uses all the cameras to give you a 360 degree view around the car. It ensures you won’t miss any low obstacles, and lets you check you’re inside the lines of your parking bay.

There’s a front facing camera too, and an array of parking sensors to give you all the visual and audible warnings required to not put a dent in the Q5.

If you can afford it (and that’s an ask for most), the Audi Q5 TFSI e provides an excellent, premium experience. It’s comfortable, quiet, spacious, powerful and laden with tech to keep you safe, make your drive easier and simply entertain you.

The addition of the plug-in hybrid engine makes it a little easier on the wallet when it comes to running costs, not to mention the environment, and the EV mode is great for short trips.

• John McCann is getting behind the wheel to give you an alternative look at the wealth of cars – and the tech inside them – available today. From super-fast sports cars to tech-packed hatchbacks, he'll take you through a range of makes, models, power and price tags in his regular TR Drives column.

It's official, Google IO 2020 will take place from May 12 to May 14 as the Google Developers Twitter account revealed the details in a tweet.

The search giant will be returning to a familiar venue, with Google IO 2020 taking place once again at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

IO is Google's annual gathering of developers for three days of conferences and workshops, and while a lot of the event is focused around these developers, there's always a keynote on day one where Google will reveal, announce and launch a bunch of different things.

• What happened at Google IO 2019?
• The Pixel 4a and 4a XL could launch at Google IO 2020
• And we'll learn about Android 11

What will we see at Google IO 2020?

A good way to predict what we'll see at Google IO 2020 is to look back at last year's event, where we saw details of the next version of Android announced, a duo of new mid-range smartphones and the Nest Hub Max smart screen launched, alongside improvements to services including Google Search, Google Lens and many others.

So what's in store for 2020? The big news will be the announcement of Android 11, the next major instalment of the firm's mobile operating system. 

We'll likely learn about a variety of new features and upgrades Google will be offering with the new software, and it'll probably make a beta version available for developers that week so they can start playing around with it.

We could well see a follow up to the mid-range Pixel 3a and 3a XL handsets too, with the Google Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL tipped to offer similarly high-level photography abilities to the main Pixel 4 devices, but at a much more affordable price.

And then there will be a variety of updates across Google's various services such as search, assistant, maps and more. We may also see new announces and/or features come to its smart home range (having acquired Nest back in 2014).

There will be no shortage of news to come from Google IO 2020, and we'll be reporting on it all to ensure you have everything you need to know.

• Google Stadia is set to get better in 2020

Chinese firm Huami took CES 2020 by surprise as it launched the Amazfit HomeStudio - a home gym device which includes a massive mirror-come-display.

Formed of three distinct products, the foundation of the HomeStudio is a high-end slat belt running deck, which features 55 rubberized aluminum slates, a max speed of 12.4mph (20kph) and a 10 level powered incline which reaches a maximum incline of 7 degrees.

On top of the running deck there are two parallel bars which you can use in various ways. You can hold them for stability while using the running machine, but they're also strong enough to support you, for full body weight training. 

Then there's the huge 56-inch vertical mirror - dubbed the SmartGym Hub - with a built-in 43-inch LCD display. The display has a Full HD, 1080p resolution and comes pre-loaded with a range of workout videos. 

Are you listening? You're being watched

The mirror also has 3 surround sound JBL speakers and a microphone array. Huami says that In the future, it will consider adding a third party voice assistant to the setup for voice control.

At the top of the SmartGym Hub there's a 3D ToF camera, with can compare your posture with professionals, and there's a manual camera cover to protect your privacy when you're not using it.

Huami plans for the HomeGym to connect to its smartwatches, earbuds and smartphone apps to log your workout data. 

There's currently no word on when (if ever) the Amazfit HomeStudio will be available, or how much it will cost. 

• Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

CES 2020 has begun, and TechRadar is out in force in Las Vegas, Nevada at the huge tech show. While the doors to the show floor don't open until Tuesday, January 7, official announcements are already being made.

We'll be bringing you all the details on the hot new tech launched at the show throughout the week, as it happens, with news, previews, detailed hands ons and expert analysis.

For an overview of everything that's been announced so far check out our CES 2020 hub, and also keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages for the biggest news and our behind-the-scenes look of the show.

You can also keep track of every single CES 2020 article we write too - ensuring you're well covered when it comes to feasting on the latest tech news.

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The huge 48-inch display inside the Byton M-Byte - the all-electric car's party piece - is now more entertaining after the firm announced new app partnerships and developer program during its CES 2020 press conference.

Byton is developing premium EVs (electric vehicles) to go directly head-to-head with Tesla's Model 3, Model S and Model X, with the M-Byte SUV the first initial car, which will then be followed by the smaller K-Byte.

The visually-stunning screen - dubbed the Byton Stage - demands attention when you're sitting in the car, and with apps including AccuWeather and ViacomCBS, it's now more useful too.

With the ViacomCBS app, passengers in the M-Byte will be able to watch live TV on the massive display - although only in-between driving, not while the car is moving. Safety first, kids.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather will provide - yep, you've guessed it - weather information on the screen - however it does more than just tell you what it's like on the other side of the windshield.

The app can work alongside the navigation. keeping you informed about the weather conditions on your route with minute-by-minute updates, so if the forecast turns bad you'll know before hitting the poor conditions. This, Byton says, will allow for safer driving.

You'll hopefully see more apps arrive on Byton's in-car platform in the near future too, with the help of the firm's new developer platform. It has released "UX Design documentation and app development guidelines for partners and developers. 

"Byton is developing apps and services for entertainment, health, productivity, eCommerce and other experiences that seamlessly merge the mobile and automotive worlds."

You still can't buy one though

We first saw the Byton M-Byte back at CES 2018, at which point is was being shown off as the Byton Concept, and two years on we're still waiting for the vehicle to go on sale.

Originally we were told the M-Byte would be available towards the end of 2019, then Q4 2019 for China only and now Byton is saying Chinese customers will receive their cars in the middle of 2020. Meanwhile, US consumers will have to wait until 2021 for the first deliveries, after initially being told Q3 2020, with a target price of $45,000.

Byton claims the M-Byte will have a range of up to 285 miles (with the top of the line 95kWh model). There's a fast charging option too, which can give you 150 miles in 30 minutes. It'll arrive with 4G LTE connectivity, but customers will have the option to upgrade to 5G in the future.

So, the waiting game continues. Whether the M-Byte ever makes it off the production line and into people's garages remains to be seen, but if it does make it the huge display could change in-car design on a much bigger scale.

• Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2020 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.