Honda’s tightened its hold on the SUV sector with this month’s announcement of the ZR-V, squarely aimed at families and retail buyers. The Japanese car-maker has a very loyal following and while it wishes existing owners will consider the newcomer when they want to change, it also hopes to hook in buyers from other brands as the sector now accounts for … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Yaris GR Sport
Toyota dominated this year’s World Rally Championship and hopes some of this success will spread into its sophisticated city car, the Yaris. It launched the Yaris GR Sport about 12 months ago and my test drive really took me back, more than a year, to a time when hot-hatchbacks were all the rage and any car which had a rally or racing pedigree was … [Read more...]
First drive: Suzuki S Cross Full Hybrid
Suzuki has passed another milestone on its road to future mobility with the arrival in UK showrooms of the latest Full Hybrid S Cross SUV. Using the same powertrain from its Vitara stablemate, the S Cross Full Hybrid is a logical development of the mild-hybrid S Cross introduced at the end of 2021. That has been a runaway success for Suzuki despite … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: KIA Niro 1.6 GDI HEV 4
After being launched in Britain in 2016, the Kia Niro has risen to become the marque’s second best seller in the UK and the third most popular in Europe, consistently increasing sales each year. Part of that success is down to being right sized for the UK but also careful marketing has ensured its high specification appeals to retail buyers while its … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid Motion
Suzuki has a knack of bringing to market just what buyers want at the right time. It has built all manner of models including city cars, sports cars, lightweight offroaders and pickups and more recently SUVs which will not tip the bank balance into the red. Essentially applying good design and engineering but keeping it simple to reduce cost has paid … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Jazz Crosstar EX
Among the Japanese automotive brands, Honda stands out as being a bit different, not afraid to have a go at something while remaining fiercely independent, even if it tends to change its mind from time to time. One of the enduring models in its UK lineup for two decades has been the Jazz series of supermini’s, which morphed into the Jazz Crosstar crossover … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: First drive Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid
Suzuki has not skimped on kitting out their new-age full hybrid Vitara SUV and it represents much better value than its closest eight rivals. Every model gets intellingent braking assistance, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise, seven airbags, Smartphone connectivity, remote key, navigation and … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Jazz EX
Two decades have defined the refined the Honda Jazz city car. From its earliest beginnings the Jazz offered unrivalled practicality with its really clever Magic Seats for three passengers but can also completely flip flat into a van-like carrier, or their bases can be folded up to take tall items lodged in the footwells. No other rival can do that. The … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Cupra Formentor V2 e-Hybrid 204ps
The head-turning Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid is a genuinely new model in the booming family SUV sector where its stablemate SEAT brand has done so well. Formentor’s the first model designed and developed for the brand and this spring picked up the highly valued five-star safety award from Europe’s toughest crash testers. This new brand formerly launched with … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Highlander Excel 2.5 Hybrid AWD
Individuals are getting larger and so are our cars, so it was the right time for the Toyota Highlander to be introduced to the UK market. Highlander is the company’s largest SUV and has been brought to European showrooms for the first time after 20-years on sale in Japan and America, brimming with fourth generation self-charging hybrid system to maximise … [Read more...]
