Thoroughly revamped Lexus RX heralds swoopier direction for its SUVs
IAIN ROBERTSON It is hard to believe that the RX model from Toyota’s luxury car arm has actually been with us since 1998, reports Iain Robertson, which may signify...
Civic success is Honda driven via the BTCC and Matt Neal
IAIN ROBERTSON While Honda can no longer subscribe to the ‘race on Sunday, sell on Monday’ ethos and its F1 investment consists only of fond Senna memories, highlights Iain...
BMW’s launch frenzy continues with enticing front-driven 1-Series
IAIN ROBERTSON Quite how BMW is able to square its long-standing, rear-driven, ‘ultimate driving machine’ ethos with front-wheel drive technology is something mildly miraculous to Iain Robertson, whose own...
We are all allowed to dream sometimes…especially in Ferrari Red
IAIN ROBERTSON Ferrari has turned a new page in its chronicles, with the introduction of its first series production PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), the SF90 Stradale, reports Iain...
BMW’s ‘big mouth’ now applies to best-selling X1 SUV
IAIN ROBERTSON Whether you like it, or loathe it, BMW’s current craze for enlarging its ‘Double Kidney’ radiator grille signature has found purchase in the latest versions of the...
BMW’s 8-Series whips off its top for high-end titivation
IAIN ROBERTSON Available in just two models, 840d (320bhp diesel), or 850i (530bhp petrol), reports Iain Robertson, the latest BMW 8-Series convertible marries elegance with sporting prowess in a...
Mazda confirms its role, with an all-new ‘3’ that is on the money
IAIN ROBERTSON It may be one of the smaller manufacturers but Mazda is a car brand that achieves more for each Pound spent than several of the rest put...
Cutesy Fiat 500 receives revived ‘EsseEsse’ model and celebratory elements
IAIN ROBERTSON While it is easy to regard Fiat as stuck in a 500 rut, Iain Robertson reiterates that the company has always been Europe’s ‘small car specialist’ and...
Hyundai whisks EV to a higher level with its double-decker bus
IAIN ROBERTSON Often as wide and varied as Hyundai, nobody can suggest that BCingU is less than diverse in its coverage of motoring matters, writes Iain Robertson, and...
Toyota indulges in ‘dinosaur-tech’ for reintroduced Supra
IAIN ROBERTSON The all-new Toyota GR Supra is the fifth generation of Toyota’s legendary sports car and the first global GR model from Toyota Gazoo Racing, reports Iain Robertson...
Vauxhall takes a punt down the PHEV route with AWD Grandland X
IAIN ROBERTSON Both market and fiscal demands are directing PSA-owned Vauxhall into electrifying all of its most popular models, reports Iain Robertson, and its latest plug-in Grandland X crossover...
All-new JCW package gifts phenomenal potential to hottest Mini
IAIN ROBERTSON Whatever diet BMW is on at present, it is sure to send Mini fans scurrying to the latest John Cooper Works variants to discover their headlining figures,...
Latest Ford Focus purports to push the envelope in compact car sector
IAIN ROBERTSON If there is one aspect of Ford Motor Company that used to be regarded as a ‘failsafe’, writes Iain Robertson, it was its firm grip of...
Jaguar XE (Mark 2) enhanced to where it should have been all along
IAIN ROBERTSON Shoved from pillar to post, jostled by State, Ford and Tata, Coventry’s ‘finest’ has needed to carry out some retrospective reckoning, writes Iain Robertson, in order to...
Subaru’s ‘give-a-dog-a-bone’ theory works with Forester perfection
IAIN ROBERTSON Boasting a brand image that was once at a lofty level, reports Iain Robertson, as Subaru has returned to earth, it has lost none of its original...
All-new electric VW ID.3 is set for launch at the end of 2019
IAIN ROBERTSON News from Volkswagen is that it is gearing-up for a predominantly EV future at the moment, writes Iain Robertson, with a comprehensively revised factory and the promise...
If you fancy a customised van, here’s a more cost-effective route to one
IAIN ROBERTSON A South Wales-based tuning company is to launch a new van to sit alongside its Ford QVM-approved Transit Custom Conversion, writes Iain Robertson, and it looks like...
Chunky, punky Ford Fiesta Active proves to be a praiseworthy package
IAIN ROBERTSON Were it to wear a large safety-pin through its grille, Ford’s growingly popular crossover model could not be less of a disruptive vehicle than it is and...
Highland fling for final page in Volvo’s ’60-Series’, the S60 saloon
IAIN ROBERTSON Launched in T5 front-wheel drive R-Design Edition form, reports Iain Robertson, fresh from an excellent Scottish Highlands driving exercise, Volvo has turned the final page in its...
Audi’s ‘skin & blister’ executive models get techie-diesel upgrade and more
IAIN ROBERTSON As if to prove that DERV has a future, writes Iain Robertson, the all-new Audis S6, S6 Avant and S7 Sportback, which are ostensibly identical beneath their...
Motoring life with a Suzuki Baleno – Final Report No.31
IAIN ROBERTSON From an initial intention to create 42 consecutive monthly reports on a personal use vehicle, Iain Robertson has bowed to circumstances and taken advantage of an even...
Z-car revisited by Nissan in celebratory half-century model
IAIN ROBERTSON Nissan’s 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition, complete with distinctive racing livery, has been unveiled in New York, states Iain Robertson, the same city where the original Datsun 240Z...
Toyota is ‘out’ with Avensis, ‘in’ with shared-tech and ‘back’ with Camry
IAIN ROBERTSON During this period of severe economic and political uncertainty, Iain Robertson believes that Toyota, based at both Derby and Deeside, deserves a pat on the back for...
Midfield Volvo XC40 cannot conceal high-price route to market
IAIN ROBERTSON Understanding the tremendous growth in consumer interest in Volvo demands a cool head and Iain Robertson hopes that by testing its most popular model, in its most...
Audi e-tron sets to toppling Tesla
IAIN ROBERTSON It has taken a while and the big hints have been dropped mercilessly but Audi has finally launched its all-electric SUV into a market that Iain Robertson...
The Mini Clubman that wants to be king…so desperately
IAIN ROBERTSON Featuring a raft of detail changes (improvements) that warrant its ‘new model’ status, writes Iain Robertson, the biggest BMW Mini to hit the roads verges on an...
Into a wealth of high-end SUVs, Merc has just introduced two ultimate machines
IAIN ROBERTSON While the model designation ‘63S’ applied to the bootlids of both GLC and GLC Coupe models may not carry former might, writes Iain Robertson, this pair of...
Honda returns from ‘the dead’, with its best compact crossover ever
IAIN ROBERTSON At long last, Honda has awoken from its torpor and produced a car worthy of the brand badge, states Iain Robertson, its revised but ostensibly all-new HR-V...
Ford whips its Fiesta ST into ‘Limited Edition’ territory
IAIN ROBERTSON Although the current Fiesta ST was only introduced around a year ago, Iain Robertson believes that launching a special version of the compact hatchback may have beneficial...
A symphony of sound emanates from the latest hot Audis’ exhaust-pipes
IAIN ROBERTSON No matter how he describes it, Iain Robertson adores the sound of a proper engine working, which is a signature that has proven more difficult for carmakers...
Ferrari P80 – where the P could stand for Prototype, or Pornography
IAIN ROBERTSON In a break with tradition for these pages, Iain Robertson is avoiding a critical appraisal of the latest car and allowing you to view a stunning one-off...
Suzuki’s ‘BOOM!’ factor lies in its prodigiously capable 1.0-litre motor
IAIN ROBERTSON Having hinted at it previously, in testing the latest Suzuki Vitara, now powered by the firm’s unfeasibly teensy petrol engine, Iain Robertson can confirm that it is...
MG proves that low-cost can also provide maximum-fun with MG3 racer
IAIN ROBERTSON Demonstrating tremendous insight, highlights Iain Robertson, history-aware MG (Chinese-owned since 2005) has tackled several ‘problems’ in one fell swoop by introducing a low-cost route to circuit racing...
Hyundai grasps the nettle, with its second Hydrogen Fuel Cell car in the UK
IAIN ROBERTSON Bringing the very latest in hydrogen and electric powertrain technology, with a range of up to 414 miles, writes Iain Robertson, the Nexo FCV joins the EV...
In a pure power race, Seat draws its fists back for the punchiest Leon ever
IAIN ROBERTSON Unprecedented product launches are a real surprise these days but, writes Iain Robertson, in the wake of the Geneva Motor Show, Seat has revealed its hottest hot...
TPMS – Nightmare, or essential safety item?
IAIN ROBERTSON Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) have come a long way since Renault first installed them on its Scenic model at the turn of the Millennium, writes Iain...
Catch the Santa Fe express, Hyundai’s largest UK SUV
IAIN ROBERTSON Hyundai’s original Santa Fe model, Iain Robertson recalls, was a ‘blobby’ but slightly clunky soft-roader that drew attention to the brand but did very little for its...
Ur-Quattro influences new Audi A1 but serves to court size controversy
IAIN ROBERTSON When he first saw the latest Audi A1, Iain Robertson admitted to infatuation, as much for its retrospective styling, as its keener, more focused driving position and...
VW wants to ‘give’, with its ID Buggy EV platform…believe it at your peril!
IAIN ROBERTSON Fans of the Cali-look buggies of the seventies will need to look twice, reports Iain Robertson, when they spot VW’s latest iteration on the theme, mainly because...
Volvo takes sporting route with V60 R-Design but not at the cost of safety
IAIN ROBERTSON Completing the circle of V60 estate car models in its range, with a most capable sporting variant, which Iain Robertson extended as much as legally possible on...