Family life endures a lot and so must their choice of car, writes Robin Roberts. The Citreon C5 Aircross replaced the smaller C4 and was designed, engineered and is marketed as a more sophisticated model for today’s market. That seems to have clicked with buyers. Just six months after its UK launch the C5 Aircross passed 50,000 unit sales, a remarkable achievement in a tough British market. In … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: SEAT Alhambra Xcellence 2.0 TDI 177hp
One of the intriguing recent surveys done by Auto Trader, the ‘bible’ for used and new UK car sales trends and figures, showed that the two fastest selling used cars were both MPVs, writes David Miles. The top selling model was the SEAT Alhambra followed by the Volkswagen Sharan, both interestingly diesel automatic versions. In fact in Auto Trader’s top ten fastest selling used car sales chart, … [Read more...]
Sunday drive:Citroen Grand C4 130 BlueHDI auto
In the real world of practical motoring requirements are we losing our must-have desire for an SUV or Crossover type of vehicle? New car sales suggest not but in the UK’s used car market a recent survey has found that the fastest selling used cars are roomier and more practical MPV people carriers. Driven by the UK’s better summer weather the growth in staycation holidays has risen, no doubt … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Vivaro Life MPV
At a time when every motor manufacturer is rushing to produce popular crossover and suv models, Vauxhall has delivered something different, in the shape of the Vivaro Life. Clearly a derivative of its acclaimed and award winning van but using parts from parent PSA to soften its character, the Vivaro Life is a genuinely large seven-seater ranking in practicality alongside Volkswagen and … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Citroen Berlingo XL 100hp
The Citroen Berlingo has just been awarded the 2019 MPV of the Year title in the annual What Car? motoring Oscars. MPV multi-purpose vehicles, or ‘people carriers’, as we know them in their heydays of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s have lost out in terms of sales to the growing desirability of owing an SUV – ‘sports utility vehicle’. But manufacturers of MPV type vehicles, Citroen call their new … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Combo Life Energy 100ps
Vauxhall know a bit about big families or those with big demands, particularly now it’s part of the immense PSA Group. So it’s reflected in the range of models now coming to market with the famous long-lived Griffin badge, and that includes the immensely practical, roomy, agile Combo series of MPVs. For those with shorter memories, multi-purpose vehicles predate the sports utility vehicles … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer 160 diesel
Citroen earlier this year announced that the Picasso name for their mid to large sized MPV people-carrier models would be changed to the C4 SpaceTourer for the five seater versions and Grand C4 SpaceTourer for the larger seven seat models. The range also includes the Citroen SpaceTourer which styling wise and sliding rear side doors looks as if it is based on a commercial … [Read more...]
New Fiat 500L is appealing but struggles
The 500L launched in 2013 in the UK was an extension of the new generation Fiat 500 city car launched in 2007. That generation was a modern interpretation of the original Fiat 500, also known as The Cinquecento, launched 60 years ago in 1957. The family was further extended in 2015 with the introduction of the Fiat 500X Crossover. The Fiat 500L was introduced as a five seater MPV … [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...]
Sunday drive: Renault Grand Scenic
Sales of MPV ‘people carriers’ have in recent years dropped in popularity due to the public’s switch to the now more desirable but less practical people carrying SUVs and Crossover type vehicles, says David Miles. MPV sales dropped a further 4.3% in the UK last year and 3.1% in Europe. But the industry has responded by making the latest generation MPVs more stylish than just being a boxy family … [Read more...]
