One of the most elusive features for any manufacturer is building emotion into a car. Tech is to be expected, reliability taken for granted, build quality must be very good, comfort cannot be ignored, so put this together and price it carefully and what you get is …. another car to take on remarkably similar rivals. Then there is the Ford Mustang. Few cars I have driven can stir emotions … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: BMW roadtrip
It's been a tough 12-months and there are still issues for the motor industry, but BMW is putting on a brave face and rolling out its newest models, writes David Miles. Falling UK new car sales due to the repercussions of Brexit, potentially less investment in new cars built in the UK, higher interest rates, demonisation of diesel, tit-for-tat trading tariffs, the autumn implementation of new … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Audi RS4 Avant 2.9TFSI quattro
The Audi RS4 has come of age and matured into a stunning model in its latest semi-estate or Avant version, writes Robin Roberts. RS4 production has been on and off since it was launched in 1999 and it is currently the fourth generation of the most driver-focused model in the immensely popular and wide Audi A4 range. Audi looked very hard at the sector where it wanted to push the RS4 and … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible 2.8-litre
Sold in over 190 countries around the World, the latest Land Cruiser and Toyota’s all wheel drive technology has 65 years of history in their tracks, writes David Miles. The hard-core Land Cruiser has a legendary reputation for toughness, reliability, durability and go-anywhere capabilities whether its jungle, desert, mountain, war zones, peace keeping and humanitarian aid, holiday tour … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Volvo V90 AWD Ocean Race
Big, bright and brimming with technology, the Volvo V90 Ocean Race Edition echoes the round-the-world racing yachts of the same name. They are eye-catching on the water, but the special edition big estate is every-inch a head-turner on the road in its white bodywork with grey and orange details, unique wheels and highlighted interior leather stitching and contrasting orange seat-belts. All … [Read more...]
New Ford Focus redefines family motoring
Britain’s best selling family car moves up several gears in September with the new Ford Focus. Building on its reputation for good handling from its launch 20 years ago, the newest generation is brimming with the latest technology under the all-new stronger bodies, including the latest Dragon petrol engines from Bridgend along with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. The new Focus … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Peugeot 3008 2.0-Litre Diesel 8-speed
One manufacturer banking on development of the Worldwide harmonised Light vehicle Test Procedure is the PSA Group, and it could pay big dividends for them later this year, writes David Miles. Peugeot, Citroen, DS and now Vauxhall/Opel are not only retesting new vehicles, they are introducing revised engines and new transmissions to provide more realistic fuel economy and CO2 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross4 AWD auto
It may be over a century old, but Mitsubishi is very much up to date with the Eclipse Cross SUV. The normally conservative Japanese car-maker is now part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Eclipse Cross is the last to be designed and built before it was subsumed, but that’s not to decry its all round excellence. There are eight versions of the Eclipse Cross, all petrol, with a … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Lexus CT200h Luxury
The Lexus CT200h is in its sixth year of production and for a final throw of the dice before its replaced it has some useful styling and equipment updates for the 2018 model year. The CT200h is the steppingstone model into the premium Lexus brand which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year of being introduced by Toyota. The CT200 range was a big move to providing a range of premium … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Viva Rocks 1.0
The greatest challenge to any car designer is getting the most of what you are given, and when Vauxhall’s team wanted to create a very compact SUV they looked to the Viva. The original Viva was a boxy saloon built in Ellesmere Port, now home of the Astra, from 1963 to 1979 and that spawned what you might call an SUV – a Services Utility Vehicle. Better known as the Bedford HA van it was a … [Read more...]