In true racing tradition of tight timing, Jaguar set an embargo date and time last week of one minute past midnight to announce their special edition Jaguar XE Reims model with just 200 units for sale solely in the UK, writes David Miles. By 0.945am the same day I was sat behind the wheel of the car giving it a very brief test drive around the winding but traffic-busy Warwickshire country … [Read more...]
First Drives
BMW boost their electric offerings
The figures speak for themselves with the latest line-up of new BMW PHEV plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on offer with more models to come, writes David Miles. This week BMW UK held a media test driving event with most of their PHEV models available for test driving. This coincided with this week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Madrid until 13 December. At this … [Read more...]
Mazda CX-30 order books open
The new Mazda CX-30 enters the booming SUV sector in January. Sitting between the CX-3 and CX-5, the newcomer is priced from £22,895 for the 26 models in five trim levels, with rear or 4WD and 122ps or 180ps 2.0 litre Skyactiv petrol engines, 6sp manual or automatic transmission. Both units feature the latest compression ignition petrol engine in two power outputs and have 24v mild-hybrid … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Electric nation is just a notion for now
In the first nine months this year official figures show that UK sales of Battery Electric Vehicles have risen by 122.1% over the same period last year to 25,097 registrations, writes David Miles. But before we think the motoring world has really changed that is still only 1.3% of all new cars sold. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles like Mitsubishi Outlander, have sold just 22,773 units - a fall … [Read more...]
Midweek motoring: MS-RT Ford Transit Connect
A Welsh vehicle builder is bucking the trend with a successful new model programme, boosting jobs and home-grown skills. MS-RT of Pontypool secured Ford approval for its bespoke Transit Custom Conversion last year and has now followed with its version of the smaller Transit Connect. Later this year a long wheelbase version and double cab will be added to the line-up, and there are still more … [Read more...]
Mid-week roadtest: Volkswagen Passat Saloon Advance
Last week’s media launch was the first opportunity for us to drive the new Passat models in the UK and the first opportunity anywhere to drive the Saloon, writes David Miles. So with that in mind, plus the overall decline in diesel sales in our domestic market, I opted for the Passat Saloon GTE Advance 1.4-litre TSI, PHEV, 218hp, 6-speed DSG auto priced at £38,940. There are extra cost … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: VW Passat SEL 190 estate
Volkswagen’s golden oldie Passat is a treasure. From its launch in 1973 it is now the VW with the longest-lived name-plate after the Beetle went out of production this year and it even predates the Golf name by a year. With over 30 million sold worldwide in 46 years, the Passat is the best-selling mid-size car in the world after seven versions have been launched. The enhanced eighth generation … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: MINI John Cooper Works 3-Door Hatch
At last week’s MINI UK media test driving day the BMW Group brand brought along their 60th anniversary Edition Hatch model as well as the revised John Cooper Works Hatch version to be sampled, writes David Miles. With a 60th anniversary Edition model already scheduled into my forthcoming road test diary I wheeled myself out onto the winding Lambourn area country roads near Newbury for a brief … [Read more...]
Midweek motoring: First drive new BMW Z4 Roadster
Sophisticated simplicity is the strong selling point in the latest BMW Z4, writes David Miles. This is the third generation of the BMW Z4 but this time it’s a Roadster two-seater soft-top. No folding metal roof hard-top Coupe version is planned for this generation model line-up where prices range from £36,990 to £49,050. There is the choice of Sport, M Sport and M Performance specification … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Kia e-Niro first drive
Some manufactures already offer various solutions to meet owner’s practical needs in being able to make those longer trips at-will yet reduce the CO2 emissions their vehicles emit, writes David Miles. Take as an example Kia, the South Korean brand, which has become hugely popular in the UK with annual sales edging towards 100,000-units. Their vast range of petrol, diesel electric, hybrid and … [Read more...]
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