Such is the demand for compact B-segment five door Crossovers or SUVs as sales are booming, why just have one model range to offer when you can have two? That’s just what Vauxhall has done. They already have the highly successful Mokka X priced from £18,455 to £29,725 and now they have the Crossland X priced from £16,555 to £23,530. A larger member of Vauxhall’s ‘X’ family, the Grandland X … [Read more...]
Roadtests
Captur wants to wrap up 67-plate sales
Facelifted front and back with enhancements to give a more premium feel to the interior will take Renault Captur into the 67-plate registrations with renewed opportunities. The SUV is the best selling Renault in the UK and accounted for 30% of registrations for the brand with 25,841 finding buyers last year. Sales are split roughly 50:50 between private and fleet and there is a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: VW up! beats 90ps
The peoples’ car is certainly all things to all men and women looking for a city car and considering the Volkswagen up! Launched in the UK in 2012, it underwent a comprehensive revamp in 2016 and there is the promise of still more to come in 2018. Essentially, the up range comprises 18 models from about £9,200 to £13,000 for the 60, 75 or 90ps petrol powered line up with an 82ps … [Read more...]
Renault Koleos marks return of bigger SUV
The Renault Koleos will see the French marque return to the larger-sized SUV sector this autumn. After the demise of the Espace and Laguna in 2011, Renault was left without a contender in a sector which has really taken off. Now it has returned with a Korean-made challenger to the Nissan X-Trail and Ford Kuga and the first models are arriving in showrooms for customers to order and … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Suzuki Swift SZ5 Boosterjet
The new third generation Suzuki Swift is a small car with a big surprise, writes David Miles. The range of five door ‘supermini’ sized five door hatchbacks went on sale in June from £10,999 to £15,849. Since 2005 about 127,000 have been registered in the UK and Suzuki UK has a sales target of 12,500 units for 2018 out of a total of 70,000 European market sales. The new Swift will continue to … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Astra Elite diesel hatch
You could be forgiven for wondering how conservative Vauxhall would emerge as one of Britain’s Brexit champions with its Astra. This family focused five-door hatch and sports tourer is now in its seventh generation and rolling off the Ellesmere Port production lines bound for British and European markets, and it’s also pushing out Opel-badged versions as well for the first time. It … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan Micra Tekna 0.9 IG-T 90
The new fifth-generation Nissan Micra B-segment ‘Supermini’ sized hatchback range is now on sale, writes David Miles. UK prices go from £11,995 up to £18,765 but the popular trend for personalisation options will push those prices steeply upwards. The ‘supermini’ sector of the new car market is super-competitive with a huge choice of different brands such as the Ford … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Peugeot Traveller MPV
A good big one always beats a good small one, and few MPVs come bigger than the Peugeot Traveller. Launched to compete in the executive travel market but considerably undercut the longer established players, the Traveller is a serious MPV. There is a massive 27-model range in the Traveller series, based on Active, Allure, Business and Business VIP trim levels using 95, 115, 150 or 180 hp … [Read more...]
New Ford Fiesta worth a song and dance
If you like your current Ford Fiesta, you’re going to love the new one, writes Robin Roberts. Essentially, just the name and trim levels have been carried over to the models now reaching showrooms which get revised engines, a six-speed manual gearbox for the first time and a lot of extra equipment and features. Out goes the dual-clutch automatic transmission in favour of a more conventional … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Peugeot 2008 GT Line 1.2 PureTech
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...]