The only way is Up, says Volkswagen. Up is approximately the same size as the old Lupo, but it's a very different story inside to the former city car and VW believe it will have more appeal, including to the daily rental fleets. Rory Lumsdon is VW UK product manager and said, "We have never really had a car like the Up, which packs a lot of technology and features into a city car size, and I … [Read more...]
First Drives
Weekend roadtest : Audi A4
The iconic A4 has helped Audi stay in the black, but now it's going greener for 2012. The Audi Group once again set records for deliveries, revenue and key earnings data in 2011. The brand with the four rings sold more than 1.3 million cars in the past year, at the same time increasing revenue to €44.1 billion. Operating profit for the Audi Group rose to over €5.3 billion in the past fiscal … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest : New Fiat Panda
After 32 years on sale the new Panda by Fiat has matured and developed a more rounded look and generous proportions to meet the demands and desires of modern drivers. With 6.4 million Pandas sold in three decades and three series, it is undeniably a very popular model which drives from the heart of Fiat's soul for small, agile, comfortable, economical and versatile city cars. Rounded new shape … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Renault Fluence ZE
Despite the UK Government's £5,000 subsidy to each buyer of an electric powered new car sales have been underwhelming. Up until the end of 2011 only 1,082 electric cars were sold last year and there are only 2,149 electric cars which have gone onto our roads since 2006. According to official figures published at the end of last year there were 2,500 UK charging points available, not counting … [Read more...]
Vauxhall expects to turn a corner with the all-new Zafira Tourer
While the derivation usually implies a model half way between a saloon and estate car, the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is really a scaled up and more modern take on the Zafira compact MPV seven seater. The fact that people are gradually increasing in size and therefore expect more space has spurred development of the Zafira Tourer, which is longer and wider than the current Zafira introduced six … [Read more...]
Benchmark Beemer is very significant – especially for its rivals
An all-new BMW model is always a notable event but when it comes to the iconic 3 Series that is even more important and significant, especially for their competitors. The new 3 Series Saloons are being delivered to customers from 11 February and around 25,000 units are available this year. The 3 Series is the benchmark for the premium brand D-Segment (upper medium) and in 2011 finished in … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest : Land Rover Range_e
After it was launched in 1970, the Range Rover set a benchmark for luxury off-road travel and it's about to do it all again with the new generation of diesel-electric hybrid models due in 2013. Some may think of it as a mid-life crisis but that suggests uncertainty and panic and the sure-footed engineering and marketing of the Range Rover is anything but that. It is, however, Land Rover's … [Read more...]
Kia Optima offers hope to Saab stalwarts, says MD
Unhappy Saab owners are likely to be interested in the new Optima saloon, according to Kia UK MD Michael Cole. "This is the first modern D-sector car for Kia and I think it has the right blend of style, equipment, performance, comfort and rarity to appeal to Saab drivers," he said at the press launch for the new four-door model."It is a very good model in its own right and a real alternative … [Read more...]