Naturally-aspirated straight-sixes are close to extinction in this segment, which is exactly why the Apex R stands out before you've even started the engine. Everything else in its price bracket has gone turbocharged for the emissions numbers. This one hasn't, and it changes the entire character of the car.
Carvia score — weighted across driving engagement, chassis feedback, everyday usability, and value against turbocharged rivals.
The engine is the headline, but the chassis is the story
The 3.0-litre six makes 380 hp and doesn't touch peak torque until 6,200 rpm, which means it rewards revving it out in a way that turbocharged rivals — with their torque delivered in a flat wall from 2,000 rpm — simply can't replicate. It's not the fastest car in its class in a straight line. It is, by a clear margin, the most involving.
What impressed us more on a genuinely demanding stretch of mountain road was the chassis balance. The Apex R uses a mechanical limited-slip differential rather than the brake-based torque vectoring most rivals now rely on, and the difference is obvious the moment you're on the throttle mid-corner — the car rotates predictably instead of being electronically nudged into line.
Everyday reality
Firm suspension aside, the Apex R is more usable day-to-day than its focus suggests. There's a proper 280-litre boot, rear seats that fit small children if not adults, and a ride that's firm rather than punishing on all but the worst broken tarmac. Fuel economy hovers around 9.8 L/100km in mixed driving — not efficient, but not unreasonable for the performance on offer.
Where it falls short
- Rear visibility is compromised by the low roofline and thick C-pillars.
- Infotainment is basic compared to rivals — a deliberate simplicity that some buyers will appreciate and others will find dated.
- Insurance groups run high given the performance-to-price ratio; worth quoting before you commit.
Verdict
The Apex R won't top a spec-sheet comparison against its turbocharged competition, and it isn't trying to. What it offers instead is a driving experience that increasingly few cars in this price range still provide: an engine worth revving, a chassis worth trusting, and steering that talks back. For drivers who care more about the experience than the numbers, that trade-off is the entire point.
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