To some motoring journalists the Holy Grail of a range is the entry-level model of any series. Mentioned in price lists but rarely seen in showrooms or on the road, these starter models are often just a price point to get into a sector and destined to become the model of choice in daily rental fleets. Now, I had a former colleague who always bought the entry level model in a range he paid for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: GWM Funky Cat 1st Edition
The UK’s electric car revolution is becoming a bloody affair. From initially resisting the new technology on cost grounds including writing off established investments in petrol and diesel engine technology and having to develop hybrid or pure electric powertrains, along with making tens of thousands of workers redundant, manufacturers have struggled to convince buyers into showrooms or on-line … [Read more...]
First drive: Honda Civic e:HEV Sport
If you’ve ever spent a night sleeping in your car it can be a very disconcerting place to wake up, but that was one of the tests engineers set themselves creating the new Honda Civic e:HEV. Sleeping on the job took on a whole new purpose for them to evaluate the interior and the view out of it after a night’s kip in the car. What is seen when opening the eyes, how relaxing it is and what does … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: MINI Electric Shadow Edition
The coming of the electric car age is going to make us all re-evaluate our motoring lives and what we expect from them, much in the same way as the diminutive Mini drove a change in our lives over 60 years ago. So it seems reasonable that the MINI Electric might just do what its petrol forebears did and change our views towards electric cars of today. While some brands are locked in stretching … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Cupra Leon Hatch 2.0TSi DSG 245ps
Cupra is inviting you to join the Q-car queue with its latest Leon 2.0TSi. Based on the family-friendly SEAT Leon, the tuning arm’s version is a return to the hot-hatch era with a car which pushes out 245ps, can exceed 150mph and covers the indicative 0-62mph mark in under 6.5 seconds. Q-cars are essentially “sleeper” or quiet cars which are not overtly sporting but which nevertheless pack a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Fiat 500e Icon
The gradual return to city living, working and commuting will give a boost to the new generation of environmentally friendly small cars, and few makers have as much experience as Fiat, writes Robin Roberts. The Italian brand built its reputation on baby cars, particularly in the second half of the 20th century, and it's looking towards the future with the latest electric versions of its … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Vauxhall Mokka-e SRi Nav Premium
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...]
Ford Mondeo production to end in 2022
The familiar Ford Mondeo reaches the end of the road next year. Almost 30 years after it was launched, Ford's medium sized family and reps car will go out of production in Valencia. It was also the basis for the Ford Galaxy large MPV and both are now seen as outdated by the new generation of SUVs such as Kuga and Ford is committed to moving onto all-electric platforms by the end of the … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Citroen C3 PureTech 110
When a car-maker refreshes and updates one of its best selling models their rivals and customers had better take notice and the new Citroen C3 deserves that attention. It underwent an extensive makeover last year but global events overshadowed it so it was good to catch up with the compact five-door model a short time ago. The third generation C3 was launched in 2016 and has secured over … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Civic Type R GT 2.0 VTEC
Although the UK production of the Honda Civic family 5-door hatchback range of models, including the hot-shot Type R, ceases in the UK at their Swindon Plant in July this year, the high performance Type R range of models available has been extended and a wide range of spec changes and technical improvements included. The Swindon Plant is currently building up buffer stocks of all 10th … [Read more...]