Confidence comes as standard in the new Kia Cee’d Sportswagon. On sale this week as seven models alongside the successful cee’d hatchback, the new estate not only succeeds but moves up from the former SW estate. Kia UK md Mike Cole says there is growing aspirational value in an estate or wagon model and the replacement for the cee’d SW is designed and … [Read more...]
Roadtests
Weekend roadtest: New Audi A3 builds on success, delivers more
The Audi A3 v.3 is going to do for the brand in Britain what computerfiles would call system restore, with the latest upgrades you’d expect thrown in. Originally launched in 1996, the Audi A3 was arguably the first modern compact executive car and after the v.2 series debuted in 2003 it grew to account for about 20pc of the brand’s UK sales, until the A1 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: New Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet
With hopefully a bit more sunshine to come this year, the Golf GTI Cabriolet is now more tempting with its GTI 2.0-litre 208bhp turbocharged petrol engine. There hasn’t been a go-faster cabriolet version of the Golf for nearly two decades and despite its fabric roof is instantly recognisable as a GTI with its distinctive ‘telephonedial’ alloy wheels, twin … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Focus ST
The all-new Focus ST is now in a Ford dealership showroom near you and it will be appearing at your local cinema from the 3 September. The car will be the real star in the new film version of the 1970’s TV series The Sweeney. In this remake for cinema you will find that cops Regan and Carter, now played by Ray Winstone and Ben Drew, have not only … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Hyundai Veloster 1.6 GTi Manual
Owners get more than they think with the Hyundai Veloster. Its unusual configuration of two-doors one side and a single door on the other, as well as a fourth back door, immediately set it apart from anything else on sale, but there is still more to it. Whichever door you use to enter it’s a very good coupe in its own right. Hyundai has won a lot of … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Renault Twizy Urban
Part of the fun of buying a new car is ticking the options list for the ‘extras’, but when that includes doors, a waterproof blanket and a luggage bag, you know this is going to become a journey of discovery, which may also include refreshing your memory for hand-signals. Welcome to the brave new zero-emissions world and the Renault Twizy. As one of the … [Read more...]
Weekend twin-roadtest: BMW 116 and M6
As the official high profile vehicle supplier to the London Olympics, with 3,200 EfficientDynamics cars and 800 other vehicles and cycles and the event starting this week, you might think BMW already has enough on its plate. Despite the increased brand awareness the Olympics brings for the BMW premium brand, the ‘day job’ of selling cars must go on … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest : Mitsubishi ASX 3
There I was in January this year writing about Mitsubishi’s new ASX Black edition of their compact C-segment crossover cum soft SUV. At that time it had Mitsubishi’s relatively new and clever 1.8-litre direct injection turbodiesel engine but with an industry first for diesel, variable valve timing was being used for lower CO2 emissions but with punchy for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Audi A6 allroad
Audi doesn’t do crisis, that’s the message from a confident UK MD as he prepares to launch the comparatively small selling but highly profitable and desirable A6 allroad. The new, third generation allroad is in showroom on 7 July and its already heading towards some eager buyers. Such is the demand for the ever increasing number of new and revised Audi … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Galaxy Titanium X 1.6 EcoBoost SCTi Start Stop
When times get hard, everyone wants more for less and the latest Ford Galaxy is no exception. The arrival of tougher emissions standards which closely correlate to fuel economy have seen the introduction of the 1.6 EcoBoost SCTi Start & Stop model. But this is no breathless panic reaction to the changes sweeping through the car industry, rather a … [Read more...]
