More and more new names are appearing in the UK car market as it evolves into the electric age, but at the recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders annual southern test day for writers near Basingstoke it was two familiar names which caught my attention. The Nissan X-Trail has been a success in Britain for over 23 years while smart has been hanging around for even longer with a … [Read more...]
New smart pure heads line-up
The new smart pure in fortwo coupé and forfour body styles is now on sale from £9,995. The pure model line comes with a 1.0-litre petrol engine with an output of 71 hp, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It has a top speed of 94 mph, and emits just 97 g/km of CO2 while achieving a combined fuel economy of 67.3 mpg combined. Standard equipment includes 15-inch wheels; electric … [Read more...]
Newslines 23 December
The wraps will come off an Audi Q8 concept at the Detroit motor show in January. The very wide and long coupe styled four-seater SUV has elements from a 1980s Audi concept but this new model will go into production against the forthcoming BMW X7 and it’s thought to share components with the sister-company Bentley SUV. Honda Motor has reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Smart fortwo prime Cabrio
Horses for courses is a particularly apt phrase to describe the smart fortwo. There’s no denying it was ahead of its time when the original model went on sale in 1998, and now the quirky two-seater rarely gets a second glance. But in 18 years it has grown up and now runs to a staggering range of about 50 versions with choices of electric motor and 71 or 90hp petrol engines in six … [Read more...]