The Skoda Superb large Estate and its five door Hatchback stablemate models have over the years not only pulled in huge global sales but have received numerous awards and accolades, writes David Miles. These have been not just for its D-segment class-leading interior passenger and load space, but for its value for money appeal and the wide range of engine and specification options including DSG … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Citroen C5 Aircross Flair BlueHDi 130A
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...]
Weekend roadtest:Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription AWD
If you asked anyone to name three famous Swedish icons I bet you’d hear them mention Volvo. Whether that came before or after ABBA and IKEA is debatable and older generations may substitute SAAB somewhere, but the fact is Volvo has become more than a car brand. It’s a global representation of Sweden and the Swedes tend to do things differently, their own way, with a particular style and flair … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Renault Captur GT TCe90
It’s always interesting to study numbers and in the case of the Renault Captur it adds up very well. Over the last few years it has become the best selling urban crossover model or compact suv with 1.5 million sold in 90 countries around the world. That’s impressive. In the UK it’s not been seen as the leader in its field but those who have bought them will know it’s a very good … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: DS3
The DS3 Crossback Compact SUV serves style and function as standard, writes David Miles. Yet another SUV recently joined the ever-growing fashionable market sector – this time it’s the compact DS 3 Crossback. For those that don’t know DS Automobiles is marketed as the premium brand from the PSA Group which already has Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall brands in its stable. In fact … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Skoda Scala SE 1.6 TDI 115hp DSG auto
The all-new Skoda Scala, a C-segment five-door hatchback, is in effect the replacement for their Rapid range and sits between the Volkswagen Group’s Czech brand Fabia supermini and larger C/D segment high selling Octavia model ranges, writes David Miles. Currently prices range from £16,595 to £23,315 and the initial line-up is relatively simple with 1.0-litre TSI petrol 95 and 115hp … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Mazda3 2.0 122ps Sport Lux 5dr
A lot is being pinned on the all-new Mazda3 hatchback, and deservedly so. Launched in the UK in spring 2019, it is competing in a tough sector of family and company cars but its about to get a big boost this autumn. The new Mazda3 hatchbacks initially came with either a 122ps 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G petrol or 116ps Skyactiv-D diesel engine, in five trim levels: SE-L, SE-L Lux, Sport Lux, … [Read more...]
New Tesla Model 3 is safest EV on the road
The new Tesla Model 3 is the safest electric family car you can buy, according to destruction testing by Euro NCAP engineers. The Tesla Model 3 debuted with a perfect five-star score in the frontal offset deformable barrier crash test, a mainstay of Euro NCAP’s assessment since its inception in 1997. It recorded 96% for adult occupant protection, 86% for child occupant protection and 74% for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia Ceed 1.6 T GDI GT
It’s all change with Kia as it moves up a gear. The Korean carmaker has recorded its best-ever UK half year sales figures with 53,232 new cars delivered to customers by the end of June 2019. That performance bucked the general market trend and surpassed 2018’s half-year figure of 51,506 by 3.35 per cent. The new Ceed series runs to nearly 20 models using petrol or diesel engines from 1.0 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.2 TD Q4 Super
Italian cars have reputations for being racy. But Alfa Romeo has taken its time to enter the booming SUV sector with its Stelvio, the first of its kind from the brand after it debuted the Kamal concept car at the Geneva motor show in 2003. A lot has happened in the meantime and any car-maker with an eye on the future must make an SUV, and the Stelvio is one of the last to enter the … [Read more...]