The Honda Jazz is one of the brand’s longest-lived models and remains one of its best kept secrets over 42 years. Improved for 2024, the Jazz range begins with the Elegance and Advance hatchbacks at £26,395 or £27,550 with the Crosstar Advance topping them at £28,550 before roadtax is added. The slightly taller Crosstar Advance gets the same bodywork upgrades, front, back and sills as its … [Read more...]
Newcomers: Cars
Newcomers: BMW expansions & MINI electric coming
A new entry-level BMW iX2 eDrive20 (above) is available to order in the UK from March 2024 with prices starting from £50,710. There is also an expansion of BMW XM offering with introduction of XM 50e, with model specific design elements. There are also comprehensive updates to BMW digital services, including extended smartphone integration for models with BMW Operating System 9. The pure … [Read more...]
Tradelines 31 January
Specialist motor insurance loss adjuster Claims Management & Adjusting says new Office for National Statistics figures showing an 8% annual increase in vehicle thefts are shockingly unsurprising. According to the ONS’s latest Crime Survey for England and Wales instances of “theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle” increased from 122,423 in the year October 2021 to September 2022, to … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Puma ST mHEV
The Ford Puma outran all its rivals to sit on the top of Britain’s car sales in 2023, and it’s easy to see why. Ford has a soft-spot for the Puma, first considered using it for a performance version of the Escort and then putting it on the 1997 compact coupe before shelving it a couple of years later, only to resurrect it after 17 years for the present suv series. It has also played about with … [Read more...]
Newslines 23 January
Bentley Motors achieved its third best ever year in 2023 with global sales of 13,560 luxury cars. Around three-quarters of customers went beyond the 46 billion different configurations available from the standard options range to add bespoke content from Bentley’s Mulliner division, representing a 43 per cent rise over 2022, an indication of the desire for truly unique exclusivity in the luxury … [Read more...]
Subaru Crosstrek now on sale
The Subaru Crosstrek has been released in the UK, replacing outgoing XV model. It has a 10 percent stiffer chassis for improved dynamic performance and ride quality, all-Wheel Drive system with X-MODE® and 220mm class-leading ground clearance. Inside there's an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay with eyesig Driver Assist Technology standard across the … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 January
Toyota and Lexus anticipate building over 3 million vehicles and Japan and more than 7 million in offshore plants in 2024. The rise has been forecast as component supplies ease and hybrid sales are rising. Hyundai Motor UK has appointed smart home charging business Ohme as its official home charging partner. Ohme's dynamic smart chargers can connect with the grid in real time, automatically … [Read more...]
Toyota GR Yaris sharpened for 2024
Comprehensive revisions have been made to the next generation Toyota GR Yaris shown in the Tokyo Motor Show. Maximum power from the in-line three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine has been increased to 280 DIN hp/206 kW, with a Torque of 390 Nm and there's a new eight-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission option with competition-standard rapid shifting. The interior has … [Read more...]
Facelift for MY2024 Mazda2 Hybrid
Arriving in the UK from March, the facelifted 2024 Mazda2 Hybrid has a more differentiated design appearance thanks to a new, and unique to Mazda, front bumper and grille design. Designed at Mazda’s European Design Studio in Germany, the revised bumper shape combined with unique rear tailgate garnish gives the 2024 Mazda2 Hybrid a fresh and independent look. Launched in May 2022, the Mazda2 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: VW ID.3 Pro S
Of the legacy car-makers, Volkswagen has developed a very wide and strong range of new generation electric models. It has been working on electric cars for many years so it was probably only natural that modernising its best selling Golf family car would feature in its approach to the future, and the ID.3 fills the sector in which its petrol and diesel hatchback did so well before it led to the … [Read more...]