Making its move into the electric generation of modern cars, the Mazda MX-30 lands squarely in the middle-ground of the market. Based on the stable-mate CX-30 crossover costing about £2,500 less, the MX-30’s 35.5kWh lithium-ion traction battery has added weight to the platform. Mazda has kept this as low as possible and not utilised a heavier battery as in some rivals and last year, the MX-30 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Lusso 2.0
Diversity has driven the car industry for over a century responding to the changing society it serves, so we shouldn’t be surprised when a traditional sporting brand looks at something different,writes Robin Roberts. Premium brands including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati and Porsche are examples which come to mind, but there is also the more affordable sporting Italian marque … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Fiat 500 Lounge Hatchback 70hp
Fiat 500 models have been the backbone of the Italian brand for generations and their popularity looks like never ending. The 500 or Cinquecento as it was then named put Fiat back on the road after WW2 and it saved the company again with a comprehensive make-over in 2007, since when three-million have been sold. A new refreshed line-up is going on sale Spring 2021, but we wanted to catch up with … [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 Mitsubishi ASX
The 2020 model year Mitsubishi ASX has received a significant makeover for New Year sales from £20,295, writes David Miles. The first generation ASX since 2010 accumulated an impressive 1.36-million global sales with 31,000 in the UK, making the ASX Mitsubishi’s third best selling passenger range taking 22.6% of overall UK sales. The ASX is the starting point in Mitsubishi’s SUV model line up. … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Peugeot Rifter 130ps diesel
A practical vehicle for all reasons with good looks is the new Peugeot Rifter which has just gone on sale from £19,650 for the five seater models available now, and £21,570 for the seven seat versions available early 2019. Speaking at the UK media launch last week David Peel, managing director of Peugeot UK, said, “As the spiritual successor to the Peugeot Partner Tepee, the all-new Rifter … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Viva Rocks 1.0
The greatest challenge to any car designer is getting the most of what you are given, and when Vauxhall’s team wanted to create a very compact SUV they looked to the Viva. The original Viva was a boxy saloon built in Ellesmere Port, now home of the Astra, from 1963 to 1979 and that spawned what you might call an SUV – a Services Utility Vehicle. Better known as the Bedford HA van it was a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Fiat Panda 4×4 1.3
Italian singers are often short in stature but big in heart and voice, just like the Fiat Panda 4x4. The cheeky all-wheel-drive car is part of a compact 12-model range sharing a 5-door body. It provides a choice of 900cc or 1.2 litre petrol engines along with a 1.3 diesel, in five trim levels and even offers a semi-automatic for the easiest of lives either in town or country, and with front … [Read more...]