The UK new car market is buzzing with electric models at high prices, so it’s worth taking a look at one of the cheapest - the Leapmotor T03. A Stellantis joint venture with the Chinese company, the car is made in Poland on lines previously producing the Fiat 500, another Stellantis brand, and the Leapmotor models are sold through the more familiar … [Read more...]
Roadtests
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Yaris Design
The hot-hatch has been reborn for Gen-Z, and there’s a thumbs up from their parents too if they want to enjoy driving a Toyota Yaris hybrid. The one-time must-have cars for the young drivers of the 1970s seemed to die out in the first decade of this century, but someone forgot to tell Toyota. It launched the original Yaris in 1999 and the second … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Proace Max
Britain runs on vans of all sizes and capacities, so the entry of the world’s biggest motor manufacturer into this booming sector must be significant. After offering small and medium sized vans through its Professional line, Toyota has added the Proace Max, its first heavy duty range in Europe and it has immediately ramped up the competition against longer … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota bZ4X Pure
Toyota fans now have a completely electric model added to the range as the industry slowly but relentlessly rolls towards the end of hybrid and internal combustion engines. After dabbling with an electric version of their RAV4 off-roader in the late 90s and pushing ahead with hybrids and stablemate Lexus electric models, it’s now the time for the Toyota … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible
When you hit 70 years, most things that haven’t fallen off or out may be about to, but that is really the turning point in the case of the Toyota Land Cruiser. From prototypes developed before and after World War Two, the model that became the Land Cruiser was commissioned by the Japanese Government in 1951. Ever since it has become a story of global … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Hyundai i10 Advance
The motor industry’s headlong plunge into SUVs, MPVs and Crossovers has left the market short of compact city cars which are perfectly matched to the real-world needs of many drivers. While some manufacturers stopped making traditional small hatchbacks and are now living to regret their decisions as market share slides and rivals fill the gap, Hyundai has … [Read more...]
Weekend feature: Suzuki celebrate 55 years of Allgrip
Suzuki GB staged a landmark event inWales to highlight 55 years of their clever and effective ‘ALLGRIP’ four wheel drive systems. At a recent test drive session held in south Wales and centred on the ‘Monster Mountain’ off-road facility near Merthyr Tydfil, motoring writers were invited by Suzuki to test-drive a selection of their models, both current and … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia Stonic GT-Line S
When a prolific manufacturer keeps rolling out new models it's all too easy to overlook their older vehicles, as is the case with the Kia Stonic GT-Line S. Kia is on a roll with its brand in Britain, bringing new EVs to market in a constant stream and more are on the horizon as it enriches its range and wins awards within the industry.So it was good to … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: X Peng G6 Long Range
Among the newest of the Chinese car-makers coming to the UK, XPeng has partnered with the people who brought us Subaru and Isuzu in Britain, so let that be a warning to rivals. The Chinese company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong, with offices in Mountain View, California, and Munich. It has partnered platform and electrical … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia EV3 GT-Line S
Some cars immediately impress, others take a bit longer and they stand out against models which made no measureable impression after a much longer period behind the wheel. The Kia EV3 GT-Line S is an example of the series which seems to get better each time it’s driven. We first drove the new Kia EV3 last December and were impressed, but a lot’s happened … [Read more...]
