When size matters, the Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport has big appeal. The market for large hatchbacks and saloons is supposed to be shrinking as ubiquitous SUVs take over, but why be like everyone else when you can be different and look the part? This hatchback offers extremely good room for five with a boot capacity over 1400 litres so it will be popular among those who like the … [Read more...]
First drive: VW T-Cross
With SUV styled vehicles now taking close to, or in some countries, over 40% of the new car market, manufacturers from budget to luxury brands have wasted no time in covering all angles in terms of size, performance and price, writes David Miles. Another new SUV range is now joining the fray, the Volkswagen T-Cross, an urban SUV which sits below in size and price their popular T-Roc … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC EX Hatchback
The UK market has been the largest for Honda sales in Europe accounting for over a third of their 100,000 new cars sold in the EU and Civic has been an icon, writes David Miles. But the World changes, sales fluctuate, the public seems to want SUVs not conventional hatchbacks or saloons, electrification and hybrid are fashionable words and, yes Brexit has put spokes in many wheels. So Honda will … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Peugeot 308 SW Tech Edition 130 auto
Anyone who doubts the future of estate cars should take a long look at the Peugeot 308 SW series and see what it offers for the family who want space without the bulk of an SUV, writes Robin Roberts. The 308 series of hatchbacks and estates has been a backbone of the range for decades with different prefixes but it’s as relevant today as it ever was. What’s more it has … [Read more...]
Turning the corner with Alfa Romeo
Car sales are a series of ups and downs but there are strong signs that Alfa Romeo has turned the corner this year, writes Robin Roberts. A recent independent survey of owners who have used their models for some time concluded that the sporting Italian brand was second only to Lexus in terms of overall satisfaction with models, manufacturer and dealership support. It was the highest placed … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Volvo V60 D4 AWD Cross Country
Although it’s Volvo’s range of SUVs, the XC90, XC60 and the new XC40 that hog the limelight of the Scandinavian brand’s significant popularity and sales growth in the premium car market, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Volvo has excelled for over 60 years in producing estate cars, David Miles reminds us. With the large V90 estate firmly established, more recently the mid-sized V60 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Land Rover Discovery Sport Landmark
The Land Rover Discovery Sport Landmark is the 4x4xfamilies. Created to mark 30 years of the Discovery, Landmark editions come with a host of features as standard which are options on others in the extremely extensive range of pure 4x4s. It’s not a cheaper alternative to the rest of the range, but it’s a very good package embodying some of the most popular and useful features into a single … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Skoda Karoq Scout 2.0 TDI 150hp 4×4
The Scout adds a rugged element to the Skoda Karoq mid-sized SUV,writes David Miles. Available from £21,945 to £33,375 with petrol, diesel, manual, automatic, 2WD and 4WD models, the competitors include the Dacia Duster, MG GS, Seat Ateca, Peugeot 3008, Ford Kuga, Nissan Qashqai, VW Tiguan and Suzuki Vitara. The Karoq has a practical range of engine options from the turbo petrol 1.0-litre … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Audi A1 Sportback 30 TFSI S line
Audi experience in the luxury sector really shows in its supermini A1. First shown in 2010 as a 3-door, the 5-door came 12 months later and arrived in Britain in 2012, and it’s a successor to the Audi A2. Today, Audi’s entry level model comes in a comprehensive range of over 30 versions utilising some 5 engine choices with manual or automatic gearboxes, and 7 trim levels in 3 or … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Lexus ES 300h ES Takumi
The new seventh generation front wheel drive ES 300h self-charging petrol-electric hybrid D-segment executive class saloon is the first ES range ever to be sold in the UK and Western and Central Europe, writes David Miles. Although we are only just getting the ES, the original ES launched the Lexus brand in 1989 alongside the LS flagship saloon. The ES has become the brand’s most popular saloon … [Read more...]