It’s a familiar problem; you have to pick up a Christmas tree and somehow get it home along with maybe a few other seasonal plants and excited children. Most motorists resort to tying the netted tree onto their roof and hoping it stays there but the flexible seating in the Skoda Karoq offers a more practical packaging solution unless you have a very long tree. The split folding rear seats drop … [Read more...]
Lexus LBX to come in under £30K
Lexus has revealed launch pricing for its 'baby crossover', new LBX that will take the brand into new market territory. Order books are open now with on-the-road prices starting from £29,995 for the entry level Urban model. The all-hybrid electric line-up presents a wealth of choice with nine versions to choose from, reflecting the breadth of interior styling options to suit different … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Tesla Model Y Long range EV
The innovative Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best selling car in September as it built on its engineering expertise and shrugged off competitors. On the eve of the company’s 20th anniversary in 2023, Tesla has been the outstanding if controversial success story over the last two decades, setting engineering standards for traditional car makers to consider and compete with, producing very mixed … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Volkswagen Taigo Life
Volkswagen is an inherently conservative car maker which has thrived on compromises to please its customers and its latest line up is no exception, but excels nevertheless. Broadly similar in style to its Volkswagen crossover stablemates, Taigo actually falls between the shorter T-Cross and larger Golf-sized T-Roc in dimensions and a lot of the space is put to good use with a bigger … [Read more...]
First drive: Kia Sportage PHEV
Kia has sharpened its attack on the business sector and introduced a Plug In Hybrid Electrified addition to its Sportage family-friendly range launched just a few months ago. Some models will qualify for a very low 8% for the currnt tax year and lower than most rivals which come with a 12% penalty and total cost of ownership will be lower than other Sportage electrified models. The introduction … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Volvo V90 B6 AWD
While SUVs now tend to grab sales and headlines we cannot overlook estates, writes Robin Roberts. Volvo has built a sound reputation on its estate cars and the V-series has won many awards from business and family judges. In fact some estates have morphed or developed into what’re often termed crossovers, sitting in size and style between a boxy estate and taller SUV. Some believe the … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Nissan X-Trail Tekna 1.7 dCi 150hp
Nissan introduced the original X-Trail in 2001 when it was a hard-core proper dual-purpose 4x4 workhorse which sold in huge numbers around the world, writes David Miles. From 2007 the X-Trail moved from hard-core 4x4 to SUV/Crossover and in 2017 received further restyling and specification changes to soften its image into a more family friendly suitable model. The large X-Trail shares much of … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota C-HR Dynamic 2.0 Hybrid
Continuous improvement is the philosophy of Toyota and few car makers have as much experience of evs, launching its Hybrid Synergy Drive in 1997, and is rolling out more models every few years, writes Robin Roberts. The Toyota C-HR is a good example of continuous improvement, first introduced to the UK in 2018 with a 120bhp 1.8 litre petrol engine which helped it notch up over 50,000 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Suzuki Ignis SZ5 Allgrip
City slicker meets countryside pony is how I would describe the top specification model in the revised Suzuki Ignis range, writes David Miles. All models now have a new 1.2-litre four-cylinder K12D Dualjet Hybrid petrol engine offering WLTP CO2 emissions from 114g/km and combined cycle fuel economy from 55.7mpg for the 2WD models. And you will note from those last few words I say 2WD model so … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Nissan Juke Tekna+ manual
Designed and built in Britain, you can expect a loyal following for the Nissan Juke which is now in its second generation after more than a decade setting the trend for family SUVs. Since September 2010 it has been snapped up by over 1.5 million owners around the world who wanted to add style to the school-run and other social outings. Building on its link with Renault and … [Read more...]