Hop in a new Mecedes E-Class or a legendary Mazda convertible. Drive It! and feel the fascination.Present It! The new Mercedes E-ClassAnyone who's taken even a few taxi rides in Germany is sure to have been in an E-class Mercedes. As the taxi driver's favorite model, a good many of the more than 13 million E-classes that Mercedes has sold to date have carried passengers in style.They have a reputation as highly robust. Some are even said to have clocked up 700,000 kilometers or more. Now Mercedes-Benz has rolled out the fifth generation. Now, drivers can sometimes feel more like a passenger, with systems like the Drive Pilot bringing autonomous driving one big step closer. Drive It! tried out the new high-tech systems.Examine it! Sixty years of VW Commercial VehiclesSix decades after its market debut, VW's van is still hugely popular. By 1967, 1.8 million first-generation VW buses had been produced in Germany. The first VW vans were built in Wolfsburg.Then in 1956, production was moved to Hanover, where the VW vans are still manufactured to this day. Meanwhile, the bus's 6th generation is rolling off the assembly line. For the VW bus's sixtieth anniversary, Drive It! visits the VW production site. Test It!: The Mazda MX-5 Soft TopFor over a quarter century, Mazda's been working to perfect the roadster experience. The fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 comes closer to that ideal than ever before. The soft-top convertible's new design gives it a more emotional look, especially in front.Surfaces inside the doors painted with the body's outside colors make for a down-to-business look. The lower weight and center of gravity affect the driving dynamics, as well. We put the elegant little sports car through the paces of the handling test. Vintage!In the early 1960s, Europe was experiencing a baby boom. Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus responded by developing a radically new interior design for a mid-size car. The result was the 1961 Renault R4, a revolutionary and innovative compact car.Then, in 1965, Renault launched the R16, a mid-size family car with a hatchback, large trunk lid and flexible interior. During the design process, the engineers had almost total freedom. The only requirement was a front-wheel drive. The Renault R16 became an international hit. Initially, sales figures doubled year by year. By 1972, seven years later, R16 sales had passed the one-million mark.

In 2016, BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the slogan "THE NEXT 100 YEARS”. The Bavarian carmaker looks back on a successful history, but it also has visions for the future.Its vehicle prototype "BMW VISION NEXT 100” shows what mobility might look like in a few decades. The car features what BMW calls "Alive Geometry”, which enables interaction between the driver and the vehicle. There’s also a regular and a self-driving mode. BMW’s head designer Adrian van Hooydonk showed us what else it can do.

Gone are the days when an SUV drew astonished glances on the road. Now Nissan wants to make the pickup a car for families. The NP300 Navara has been made more comfortable and more suitable for everyday use.It may be 5.33 meters long, but the Japanese vehicle’s 12.4-meter turning radius lets it take curves more smoothly than its predecessor. That's due to a newly developed multi-link rear suspension that’s also shed 20 kilos compared to its predecessor.

Passion, tradition, and Italian design -- that's Alfa Romeo. And so is the trademark radiator grille. We checked out the smallest Alfa, the MiTo, with a basic engine and the Junior feature package. This version costs about 17,000 euros in Germany.Along with white wheel rims and white mirror covers, the Junior package has an infotainment system with a 5-inch touchscreen. Can the MiTo still deliver the promised driving passion with an engine that puts out only 57 kilowatts?

The Mini is a classic with a long tradition. But even tried-and-true favorites can sometimes do with an update. Last year, the original 3-door Mini grew up and turned into a somewhat longer and more practical 5-door version. But is it still a Mini? After all, what’s made the Mini special for so long is its go-kart feel. We take one on a test drive to find out more.

Japanese brands setting their sights on the European market, traditional German companies eyeing the future, and classic European brands looking to stay competitive in the 21st century. Drive it surveys the automotive scene.Present it: Nissan NavaraGone are the days when an SUV drew astonished glances on the road. Now Nissan wants to make the pickup a car for families. The NP300 Navara has been made more comfortable and more suitable for everyday use.It may be 5.33 meters long, but the Japanese vehicle’s 12.4-meter turning radius lets it take curves more smoothly than its predecessor. That's due to a newly developed multi-link rear suspension that’s also shed 20 kilos compared to its predecessor.Examine it: BMW's 100th anniversary and the BMW Vision Vehicle premiereIn 2016, BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary with the slogan "THE NEXT 100 YEARS”. The Bavarian carmaker looks back on a successful history, but it also has visions for the future.Its vehicle prototype "BMW VISION NEXT 100” shows what mobility might look like in a few decades. The car features what BMW calls "Alive Geometry”, which enables interaction between the driver and the vehicle. There’s also a regular and a self-driving mode. BMW’s head designer Adrian van Hooydonk showed us what else it can do.Taste it: Alfa Romeo MitoPassion, tradition, and Italian design -- that's Alfa Romeo. And so is the trademark radiator grille. We checked out the smallest Alfa, the MiTo, with a basic engine and the Junior feature package. This version costs about 17,000 euros in Germany.Along with white wheel rims and white mirror covers, the Junior package has an infotainment system with a 5-inch touchscreen. Can the MiTo still deliver the promised driving passion with an engine that puts out only 57 kilowatts?Test it: Mini OneThe Mini is a classic with a long tradition. But even tried-and-true favorites can sometimes do with an update. Last year, the original 3-door Mini grew up and turned into a somewhat longer and more practical 5-door version. But is it still a Mini? After all, what’s made the Mini special for so long is its go-kart feel. We take one on a test drive to find out more.Vintage: Histo Monte 2016The Histo Monte Rally takes vintage cars from Mainz to Monaco in just four days. We went along for the ride in a classic SEAT - a Fura Crono, which is a forerunner of the current Cupra model. A quick look under the hood reveals a huge strut brace, proof of the Fura Crono’s sporting cred.And the SEAT is so light that it gives the considerably more powerful Porsche Armada a run for the money on tight curves. But the Histo Monte rally is not about speed: it’s all about smoothness. And it turns out the Fura Crono tackles the climbs like a mountain goat, whatever the weather.

The Histo Monte Rally takes vintage cars from Mainz to Monaco in just four days. We went along for the ride in a classic SEAT - a Fura Crono, which is a forerunner of the current Cupra model. A quick look under the hood reveals a huge strut brace, proof of the Fura Crono’s sporting cred.And the SEAT is so light that it gives the considerably more powerful Porsche Armada a run for the money on tight curves. But the Histo Monte rally is not about speed: it’s all about smoothness. And it turns out the Fura Crono tackles the climbs like a mountain goat, whatever the weather.

A muscular-looking front end and a striking air-scoop are not the sort of accessories you'd expect to find on a station wagon -- but they're a perfect fit with the Subaru Levorg.The name "Levorg" is a combination of the words "Legacy" -- the car it replaced -- plus "revolution" and "touring." The Levorg's design is based on the Subaru Impreza, but it's a cut above that model. The Levorg sells for just under €29,000 -- complete with four-wheel drive and automatic transmission. We take this new Subaru wagon out for a test-drive.

It's an automotive icon, with a history that dates back to the 1950s. Now, it's undergone some improvements. The Mercedes SL has a powerful engine, a nine-speed automatic transmission, five dynamic drive programs -- and the suspension is equipped with an Active Curve Tilting feature.The SL has always been a top-of-the-line touring roadster, and the new model continues that tradition. We're going to test an AMG SL 63 that has a power output of 430 kW.

Automotive icons that have stood the test of time - from the Porsche 356 to the Mercedes SLExamine it! Mercedes SLIt's an automotive icon, with a history that dates back to the 1950s. Now, it's undergone some improvements. The Mercedes SL has a powerful engine, a nine-speed automatic transmission, five dynamic drive programs -- and the suspension is equipped with an Active Curve Tilting feature.The SL has always been a top-of-the-line touring roadster, and the new model continues that tradition. We're going to test an AMG SL 63 that has a power output of 430 kW. Test It! Subaru LevorgA muscular-looking front end and a striking air-scoop are not the sort of accessories you'd expect to find on a station wagon -- but they're a perfect fit with the Subaru Levorg.The name "Levorg" is a combination of the words "Legacy" -- the car it replaced -- plus "revolution" and "touring." The Levorg's design is based on the Subaru Impreza, but it's a cut above that model. The Levorg sells for just under €29,000 -- complete with four-wheel drive and automatic transmission. We take this new Subaru wagon out for a test-drive. Taste it! VW Passat GTEIn all-electric mode, the VW Passat GTE moves off almost without a sound. The 1.4 liter gasoline engine remains off and the vehicle is powered by the electric battery alone. In electric mode, the car has a range of 50 kilometers according to VW.The GTE takes around 2.5 hours to charge up fully if you use a public charging station, or over four hours if you plug in to a normal household socket. Apart from fully electric mode, the GTE also offers the Battery Charge Mode. Here the car is powered by the gasoline engine which charges the electric battery at the same time - useful for longer trips, especially on the freeway. That's the theory at least, Drive it! puts the GTE to the test to find out how it fares in practice.Test it! Opel CorsaIt's proved to be the ultimate bestseller: the Opel Corsa has been on sale for 34 years. In that time, four generations of the Corsa have come and gone, with over 12.4 million vehicles sold. The fifth generation is now on the market. We test out a 1.4 liter gasoline Corsa, boasting 74 kilowatts of power.The car is available both in a sporty 3-door version or the more practical 5-door model for everyday use. Both have an identical length of 4.02 meters. So our car tester wants to know if the cargo space is sufficient in the 5-door version, and decides to climb into the trunk himself. He's 1 meter 80 tall, but finds he's not disappointed. Vintage! Porsche 356 Super 90 ConvertibleIntroduced in 1948, the 356 was the first car to bear the Porsche name. Before then Ferdinand Porsche had developed vehicles for other brands at the design and engineering firm he'd founded in 1931. But the 356 was actually the brainchild of his son Ferry Porsche.The VW Beetle formed the basis for the 356, which underwent constant improvements during the 17 years it remained in production. We take a 1960 Super 90 convertible out for a spin. It features a 1.6-liter engine which generates 90 horsepower -- more than twice as much as the first 356 models.