Peugeot’s hugely popular 2008 compact Crossover has a heart of gold – literally, says David Miles. One of its engine options, the PureTech 1.2-litre three cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, has just been awarded, for the third year running, the gold-standard 2017 Engine of the Year award in the 1.0 to 1.4-litre category. The results given by an international jury of automotive … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Jaguar XE Portfolio 2.0 AWD
Slowly, surely and with a steely eye on sales, Jaguar is stalking its rivals. From a comparatively small range of models a few years ago it has become the UK’s biggest car-maker with ranges it cannot produce fast enough and means there are long waiting lists from well healed customers eager to embrace the “cats”. Until fairly recently when the F-Pace SUV was launched, the Jaguar XE … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Mitsubishi Shogun LWB SG5
While there are all-new cars aplenty waiting for UK customers there are also some longer serving models that share their designs with older original models going back for many years. In recent months we have looked and explained the heritage of the new and larger VW Beetle, the hard-core All-American Jeep Wrangler SUV and now we look at the Mitsubishi Shogun … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia Picanto 2 1.0 litre
The one-time cheap Kia Picanto has moved on with the third generation now reaching showrooms and selling itself with sophistication in the spec-list, says Robin Roberts. That’s good news, but there is still better news because it’s not priced itself out of the all-important A-sector for city cars. The market has changed and so has Picanto because it’s now only available in … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Ford Mustang Convertible 2.3
A timely press release from Ford arrived in my In-Box recently claiming the new generation Mustang is the best selling sports car on the planet, writes David Miles. A fact that was hard to digest when you consider sales of the Audi TT or the Mazda MX-5. Reading further it appears that the all-new Mustang pony car built for 140 global markets, not just the USA where it had been the best … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Hyundai Ioniq hybrid Premium SE
There has been a headlong rush towards hybrids, and one-time minnow Hyundai is now a big fish, writes Robin Roberts. It showed us the fuel cell ix35 over a year ago and probably more significantly it launched the Ioniq in the UK last autumn as the first car with three powertrains, a petrol-hybrid, an electric model and soon to come a plug-in hybrid electric. At the moment there are five … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Revised Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi
The demand in the UK, the EU and global markets for SUVs, Crossovers and 4x4s continues and the surge in additional models from brands new to these sectors builds on their fashionable must have appeal, says David Miles. In the UK last year there were 437,000 new car registrations for what the industry calls Dual Purpose vehicles. We can add in at least another 100,000 of what we call … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport 110 TD
First impressions certainly last with the new Vauxhall Insignia, says Robin Roberts. After being launched in 2008, the Insignia Mk2 hit UK roads in March, initially as a five-door but it’s now been joined by Sports Tourer semi-estate and they share a wide range of updated petrol and diesel engines. There are seven trim levels in a range running from about £17,200 on the road £28,400 in the … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: 2017 Skoda Octavia Estate
The 2017 revised Skoda Octavia range of C-segment five door Hatchbacks and Estates have recently gone on sale and all retain their class-leading roominess, high specification and most are available at competitive prices. The huge interior space offered by these models is in keeping with the huge number of models in the 2017 line-up. I counted 58 variants at prices ranging from £17,195 to … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Renault Clio Dynamique S Nav
Consistently one of the best sellers in the Renault range and frequently refreshed, the Clio hatchback can hold its own against rivals and is positively ahead of many with its refinement, says Robin Roberts. It slots very well into the family sector in terms of size and design, its powertrains cover the most popular choices and it’s very well priced. The current Clio IV range runs … [Read more...]