There’s trouble brewing for rivals to the new 'green' family car from Vauxhall. The latest Vauxhall Mokka-e is not a stand-alone model but one of the offerings in a compact SUV series which includes both cheaper petrol and diesel engines and indicates the future direction of its model series as it drives towards the pure electric future in the 2030s. Mokka-e gets the new look Vizor front end … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Jaguar XF Sportbrake R-Dynamic SE P250
Style and sophistication are embodied in the practical and purposeful Jaguar XF Sportbrake and a serious alternative to SUVs. Introduced in 2017 to widen the appeal of the medium sized XF saloon it sits alongside the now expanding range of Jaguar SUVs and offers a different driving proposition for those who want room but also require a more compact car. The XF series is a huge … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Jaguar XE D200 SE R Dynamic
Jaguar’s baby car is maturing. The Jaguar XE series was introduced in 2015 to replace the X-Type and has been refreshed over six years so it now comprises more than a dozen models using the same four-door saloon body with petrol or diesel engines in rear or all-wheel-drive and five trim levels from standard to highly sporting as befits Jaguar's heritage. It still makes sense if you drive a lot … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: VW T-Roc Cabriolet Design 1.0 TSI 110PS
The Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet is definitely good for your health this summer. We are increasingly being implored to get out into the fresh air to reduce the chance of catching Coronavirus but there are few true family four-seater convertibles on the market at this price. You don’t want to be cooped up in a tin-top on a hot day, or any day for that matter, and a the very modern T-Roc Cabriolet … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia Sorento 4 1.6HEV
The Kia Sorento 4 is full of surprises in a market which often delivers nothing out of the ordinary, writes Robin Roberts. I mean; what car comes with an beach, a wood-burner, a café or its own forest? They are part of the “nat sounds” available in the highly sophisticated infotainment system and are a calming or relaxing influence in a car which is already in the lowest stress … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Citroen New C4 1.2 PureTech 130 manual
Combine mid-sized hatchback dimensions with 5-doors in a Coupe styled bodyshell then add in must-have SUV styling cues and that mix should make the new Citroen C4 highly desirable. For good measure Citroen has thrown in attractive pricing and high specification. The C4 and its predecessors have been around in various forms in their mid-sized segment over 93 years with 12,500,000 sold. The … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Vauxhall Crossland SRi Nav 1.2 Turbo 130hp
After the latest Covid lockdown some 4,500 franchised car dealerships, plus many more used car centres, opened their showrooms to the buying public, at least dealers were hoping customers would be buying, writes David Miles. On Monday 12 April, the opening day for the car industry dealerships, shops, pub gardens, hair salons and so on, Vauxhall had a major advertising splash for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: MG5 EV estate
All credit must go to the new MG5 EV Estate. As many manufacturers fall over themselves to produce what are essentially the same pure electric cars in hatchbacks or saloon styles, the MG5 stands out from a crowd of challengers because it has none, at least no pure electric estate cars in this price bracket. The MG5 estate sounds unremarkable but that really shouts out about its ability to be a … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Peugeot 5008 Allure 1.2L PureTech 130
The UK car industry came to the end of its Covid induced click and collect period last week with healthy March new registration plate month sales, writes David Miles. Registrations were up by 11.5% over March last year when Covid first closed showrooms. However the March 2021 total of new cars sold 283,964 units is 37% below the 10-year March average. Peugeot is one of the brands doing well with … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Puma ST
Ford’s future lies in models such as the Puma ST. Drivers of a certain age will fondly remember Ford’s sporting derivatives of fairly ordinary, nothing-to-shout-about family cars. The world has moved on in the last five decades and families have also changed and want something more than a saloon or hatchback. So it was only a matter of time before the marketing and engineering people at … [Read more...]
