Kia is riding the crest of a new wave with its range-topping luxury EV9 SUV this spring. The Kia EV9 achieved a remarkable dual victory at the 2024 World Car Awards at the New York International Auto Show in March, being voted World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle., taking KIA to five titles in the prestigious awards. Kia has given a strong incentive to buy an EV 9 which is now … [Read more...]
Lexus LBX to come in under £30K
Lexus has revealed launch pricing for its 'baby crossover', new LBX that will take the brand into new market territory. Order books are open now with on-the-road prices starting from £29,995 for the entry level Urban model. The all-hybrid electric line-up presents a wealth of choice with nine versions to choose from, reflecting the breadth of interior styling options to suit different … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Subaru Outback 2.5ES Touring
Subaru is a bit of a lone-wolf in the car world. Part of Fuji Heavy Industries and founded 70 years ago, it’s the brand’s golden anniversary in Britain next year after it launched with a compact and capable little estate car and pickup at prices which made hundreds of farmers and country-folk very happy. It also became a byword for British fans of the World Rally Championship in the 80s and 90s … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Subaru Forester e-Boxer 2.0 XE
If you live in the country, the chance’s you’ll like a dark horse such as the Subaru Forester. It is an all-time four-wheel-drive model with good ground clearance, carries and tows a lot but it’ll not cost you an arm and leg like most 4WD or SUVs. The Subaru Forester also comes with something rivals clamour, rarity value. You are unlikely to see as many in the lanes and towns as with … [Read more...]
Newcomers 28 February
BMW is offering 625hp 4.4V8 engines in its latest X5M Competition and X6M Competition SUVs from this spring. They respectively cost £123,350 and £126,050 and get a wider range of driver assistance systems as standard including adaptive suspension, AWD and active differentials. … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Skoda Kodiaq SE L Executive
As motoring costs escalate one brand which has widened its appeal is Skoda. From being the one time cheap if not cheerful car range, Skoda can now add a smile to choice, particularly for families who appreciate value for money. With SUVs the mainstay of sales in Britain and Europe thanks to their versatility, the very capable Skoda Kodiaq does a fine job for a number of reasons and has won a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV vRS
As day follows night it was inevitable that Skoda would not only enter the burgeoning electric vehicle market but would bring to it something a bit different, a bit sporty. It has an impressive record among rallying and racing drivers and enthusiasts and any Skoda carrying the vRS badge is always a bit special. Enter the Enyaq vRS Coupe. The Enyaq EV first appeared as an SUV in 2020 but Skoda … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD
In a year which saw Britain’s new car market bump along and end up way below expectations, Genesis has provided a head-turning performance building on exclusivity and service which most manufacturers cannot match. Genesis is the premium brand of Hyundai, which includes KIA, and has been on USA sale for a decade so they are not newcomers to the market but comparatively recent additions to the … [Read more...]
First drive: Mazda CX-60 SUV
The new Mazda CX-60 now going on sale is the most powerful model ever from the company. The range-topping SUV is Mazda's first plug-in hybrid and it combines their acclaimed Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 100 kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery. Together these produce 327ps and use an eight-speed automatic transmission to put down power to all four … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota GR Yaris
The World Rally Championship is all about clipping seconds off your competitors, but the Toyota GR Yaris took years off me. Built to permit the company to take part in motor-sport’s toughest rally series and winning in 2018, the GR Yaris is probably the closest a driver will come to sitting in one of the actual WRC cars. For those of a certain age, or older, the GR Yaris rekindles the racy hot … [Read more...]