Today’s Volkswagen Polo clearly demonstrates city cars do not have to lack the refinements of much larger models. For 46 years, the VW Polo has been seen as the city car with status. While some drivers opted for cheaper competitors from rivals, the Polo-person was perceived as a more mature driver who appreciated sound engineering and valued a stronger resale price. However, … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Fiat 500X Sport 150
Fiat know a lot about turning the ordinary into the extra-ordinary, like they have with the hotter version of the very popular 500 series, writes Robin Roberts. Their best seller for 60 years, the Fiat 500 is boosted by the X Sport, given a beefier 150bhp 1.3 litre four-cylinder engine in the top model tested with a silky automatic transmission & column paddles. If you’ve had a good … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Ford Fiesta ST-Line Edition 1.0 mHEV
One of the many recent updates to Britain’s best-selling car in 2020 was the introduction of mild hybrid support for their 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder turbo petrol 125 and 155hp petrol engines used in the Fiesta and other Ford model ranges, writes David Miles. But it’s the latest Fiesta 1.0 mHEV 6-speed ST-Line Edition 5-door version I am trying for this part of the lockdown period priced at … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Civic Type R GT 2.0 VTEC
Although the UK production of the Honda Civic family 5-door hatchback range of models, including the hot-shot Type R, ceases in the UK at their Swindon Plant in July this year, the high performance Type R range of models available has been extended and a wide range of spec changes and technical improvements included. The Swindon Plant is currently building up buffer stocks of all 10th … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: SEAT Mii electric
SEAT is dipping its toe in the market waters in its Mii pure electric five-door city car with the promise of many stablemates over coming years, writes Robin Roberts. The Mii petrol models replaced with the first all-electric car from the Spanish subsidiary of the German VW Group shows how international the focus has become because it’s made in Slovakia. Developed from the Mii city car … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: New VW Golf Life 1.5-litre TSI 130hp
The new eighth generation Volkswagen Golf arrived in the UK at the end of March and after the lockdown period deliveries are now underway so this is our first opportunity to test drive the latest Golf 8, writes David Miles. The new Golf 8 model as it’s known is initially available in five door hatchback form and it has a lot to live up to as its ancestors sold more than 35-million units over … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Astra 1.2 145ps EliteNav
If proof was needed that sleeping giants are a threat, then the Vauxhall Astra proves it with the facelifted models now reaching showrooms, writes Robin Roberts. The model has been a staple of the Vauxhall brand for 40 years as the eighth-generation arrives and it’s arguably the best, and has benefitted from input by new owners Peugeot Citroen. A new or revised range of engines … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan Micra Tekna IG-T100 CVT auto
The 100hp turbo petrol engine is perky in performance and the design of the five-door supermini sized hatchback body is blindingly more eye-catching than the previous four generations of Micra which have been served up since 1983, writes David Miles. Most recently Nissan further revised some of the power units available in the updated range and these EU6 compliant units include a … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Mercedes-Benz A 180d Sport
The UK is the largest global market for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class range of five door hatchbacks and four door saloons with over 340,000 sold since the first generation arrived in 1997, writes David Miles. Last year a record 43,527 of them were sold in the UK making it the UK’s eighth best selling model range and this year it has moved up the top ten sales chart to fourth position. … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Ford Focus Titanium X 1.0-litre petrol
The latest generation Ford Focus was initially revealed to the motoring media in France in June this year but it wasn’t until September that models arrived in UK showrooms, writes David Miles. Now full UK sales are underway as the latest generation Focus five door hatchback and estate models aims to maintain their best selling family car title in the troubled new car market. The new Focus … [Read more...]
