To be lent one terrific Mazda may be regarded as good fortune; to borrow two in succession might look like tearing the arse out of it (as my dear old Mum used to say when she thought anyone was overdoing it a bit). In the case of the CX-5, the changes are all invisible from the outside. Ever since it …
Reviewed | The Suzuki Across Hybrid SUV
The Suzuki Across, a rapid and spacious plug-in hybrid SUV costing twice as much as the marque’s next-most-expensive model. Nothing wrong with that, given Toyota’s high reputation, and ‘badge engineering’ has, from time to time, long been standard industry business. Grandads, for example, may remember those little 1960s Mini, Austin, Riley, and Wolseley. Or Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the 70s. …
Kia Picanto GT-Line – The perfect palette cleanser
High-power supercars, mind-bending 0-60 times and big engines, every now-and-then one’s tastebuds and expectations need to be reset and the Kia Picanto GT-Line does just that. I’m talking about the sort of car that even die-hard road testers love, even if they won’t necessarily admit it. A small, agile car with a low-displacement motor and a tiny footprint. The sort …
All New Vauxhall Mokka, better than ever
What, no grab-handles?! And that is, for me, the only slight smudge on the All-New Vauxhall Mokka. It has a charming, perky character, with its 1199 cc, 3-cylinder engine growling away through an automatic 8-speed gearbox. Is there a simpler-to-operate gearchange out there? I don’t think so — certainly not a dinkier one. The little lever is set into the …
New – The Genesis G80 Luxury Saloon Review
Yes, Genesis is a British band, but it’s also a new car brand to the UK. The posh arm of Hyundai has now launched two models: the Genesis G80 and the GV80. It is the G80 saloon that I’m reviewing here. I got behind the wheel of the turbo infused 2.5-litre, 304PS saloon. It houses an eight-speed automatic cog changer …
Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-Line – Outstanding Value
Well, how about this!? – A sizeable and very sporting family saloon that’s £10k cheaper than all those ‘premium’ marques Although the Insignia does not feel exactly quite as ‘tight’ as some of those, it has everything available in all other respects from the engineering point-of-view, including a wizard, 9-speed automatic gearbox. The test car’s 2-litre engine produces 197bhp and …
Ford Puma ST, a performance-oriented SUV
Last month, I couldn’t decide whether I would choose a Fiesta ST or a Focus ST for my personal transport. This month, Ford have generously provided the answer in the form of the Puma ST. The high and firm bolsters on the Recaro front seats made it slightly awkward for my mother-in-law to slide her bottom in and out of …
Reviewed | Citroën C4 Puretech Shine Plus
I finally managed to get my hands on the petrol-powered variant of the Citroën C4 for a weeks road test. Specifically, I was driving the well-specced ‘Shine Plus’ edition with the Puretech 130 engine, coupled to the EAT8 automatic transmission – the same as the one in the Diesel version I drove during the media day. Everything is the same …
Jaguar I-Pace EV400 | Reviewed
Watershed moment”; “mould breaker”; “Tesla-buster”. Not so: I am happy to report that the I-Pace is standing up well and appear to these eyes to be, perhaps, the first classic of the electric age. It may not be going too far to say that it’s as great a car as Jaguar has ever made (well, setting aside the D-Type, maybe). …
Kia e-Niro and Kia Soul EV: The convert’s choice.
If you asked me what EV you should buy, my first answer would immediately be “a Kia” why? But, you ask, which one would I suggest? That’s easy; The e-Niro. Or the Soul EV. Frankly, it doesn’t matter which, as both top-spec models are on the same underpinnings, the same motor and give roughly the same range. That’s why these …