Some car-makers shout about their success in your face but Subaru doesn’t need to because the all-new Forester 2.0XE Premium Lineartronic actually watches your face. Facial recognition is fitted to the instruments to ensure the driver’s eyes concentrate on the road ahead and this combined with a suite of safety features using exterior cameras and sensors to keep the car on course … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Mitsubishi ASX Exceed 4WD
Family-friendly Mitsubishi Motors know how to stir up arguments. The latest third-generation Mitsubishi ASX is now better able to take on rivals than the immediately preceding products with its bolder styling, well revised and updated interior and cutting edge convenient technology. For 2020, Mitsubishi fitted a more powerful 150hp 2.0 litre petrol engine and choice of five-speed manual … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Kia XCeed FE 1.4 Auto
So what is the new Kia XCeed?asks David Miles. Well it’s a Crossover styled member of the Ceed C-segment family that is also made up of the Ceed five door hatchback, Ceed Sportswagon estate and the ProCeed Shooting brake models. The Ceed family is Kia’s third best selling model range after the Kia Sportage mid-sized SUV and the Picanto Picanto city car. All new Kia passenger cars are covered by … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan Juke Tekna 1.0 DIG-T 117hp Auto
Launched over a decade ago the first generation Nissan Juke sold in huge numbers with over 1.5-million finding global homes,writes David Miles. It brought the then aspirational idea of 5-door SUV styling to the masses of car buyers who previously had opted for supermini sized hatchbacks. Although prior to Juke there had been small boxy shaped SUVs/4x4s from mainly Japanese manufacturers … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Audi Q3 Sportback
As Audi so aptly puts it their new Q3 Sportback is a different slant on their Q3 SUV, writes David Miles. It’s a variation on the Q3 theme, familiar versatility but now with a racier coupe inspired side profile and rear end styling themes. But will this edgier dynamic design give Audi a sales edge in the over supplied medium sized SUV/Crossover market sector where numerous brands have stepped … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Volvo XC60 T8 twin engine
Volvo saw record UK sales in 2019, led by its SUV family including the XC60 series, writes Robin Roberts. British registrations went up 12% to over 56,200 with the compact XC40 taking 15,445 and the XC60 recording 11,766 sales as the brand out performed some other premium rivals in 2019. Globally sales topped its 93-years history with over 700,000 sales. This year will see more PHEV and BEV … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Mondeo Vignale 5dr
Size can make a world of a difference to buyers and that’s where the Ford Mondeo packs them in, writes Robin Roberts. It has consistently won awards for its internal dimensions, roominess and popularity with families and business users and it’s easy to see why. The trend towards compact cars has seen the Mondeo segment shrink in numbers if not individual dimensions, but if you really … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia XCeed 1.4 TGDi FE automatic
Kia Ceed has been one of the outstanding success stories of the first two decades of the millennium and as we enter its third a new chapter begins with the XCeed, writes Robin Roberts. Hatchbacks have given way to SUVs over the last ten years and now this sector is further developing with the full size models being joined by compact versions which do everything of their larger … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan Qashqai Tekna 1.3 DIG-T 160hp Auto
The British built Nissan Qashqai is today generally recognised as the founder of the Crossover vehicle market sector when it was launched in 2007, wrties David Miles. It offered SUV styling with family hatchback sizing and practicality with 2WD and 4WD traction options. But it was in fact the Matro Rancho launched in 1977 that brought the ‘off-road look’ to the family hatchback market at a … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: FIAT 500X Cross Plus, 1.3A
With the on-going arrival of all-new SUVs of all sizes in full swing, the popular market sector also offers updated versions of SUVs which have been available for much longer, writes David Miles. At the compact end of the SUV market one such revised and refreshed model range made its UK debut at the end of last year. This was the refreshed five-door compact Fiat 500X, … [Read more...]
