Ford’s extraordinarily average all-electric SUV succumbs to aping Tesla
IAIN ROBERTSON According to Ford, its new SUV is inspired by the archetypal Mustang, although Iain Robertson reckons that the Mach E will be its ultimate Marmite machine, to...
Gareth Butterfield takes a drive in the latest version of an old favourite – the Subaru Legacy Outback
WHILE the world has been turning to the crossover and SUV market in droves, there’s been one pioneer of this sector that’s been quietly evolving in the background. Before...
The all-but-perfect Honda CR-V Hybrid warrants seriously high praise
IAIN ROBERTSON Achieving perfection is the aim of every carmaker but very few of them have been as capable as Honda and its latest hybrid CR-V model has made...
Mazda creates the petrol car that obviates a need for a diesel one
IAIN ROBERTSON Skyactiv-X engine technology, a Mazda self-funded and engineered solution to real world fuel economy needs, powers the GT Sport saloon version of the Mazda3 hatchback, a model...
Top ‘marques’ to Mission Motorsport for support of veterans
IAIN ROBERTSON It never ceases to be heart-warming, when announcements are made in favour of our nation’s Armed Forces, writes Iain Robertson, and none more so than when a...
Crisply confident Corsa is Vauxhall’s undeniable statement of brand intent
IAIN ROBERTSON Lighter, livelier and overall more likable, the all-new baby Vauxhall earns its on-road stripes with dynamic grace, more space and a smiling face, factors that enthuse Iain...
Recycling results in Renault’s ‘plastic’ upholstery (on the Zoe EV at least)
IAIN ROBERTSON While it may take time, largely due to the development of new machinery, reports Iain Robertson, when the motor industry invests in its eco-future, it can do...
Gareth Butterfield drives the latest version of the British-built success story, the Nissan Qashqai
BELIEVE it or not, the innocuous little Nissan Qashqai deserves a place in history as one of the great automotive trendsetters. Nissan took a punt, back in 2007, on...
Merc adds volume and punch to high-flying AMG GLS63
IAIN ROBERTSON It seems as though the high-end SUV market sector has no limits, states Iain Robertson, as Mercedes-Benz enters the fray with its latest, high-power, high-luxury semi-off-roader, providing...
Lexus relents at last, with reveal of all-electric UX300e crossover
IAIN ROBERTSON The luxury arm of Toyota is the first to launch an EV, reports Iain Robertson, which is based on its much vaunted UX sporty SUV model, although...
British automotive enterprise has two key players in a loftier contest
IAIN ROBERTSON Whether you are a motorsport fan, or just love the classical streak that links aeronautics to automobiles, states Iain Robertson, two not dissimilar brands, McLaren and Aston...
Idiomatic Ignis (4×4) demonstrates Suzuki’s devil-in-the-details
IAIN ROBERTSON Apart from some obscure Japanese domestic market 4x4s, Ignis’s place in the European sub-compact go-almost-anywhere scene is only contested by the Fiat Panda 4×4, writes Iain Robertson,...
Hyundai develops advanced anti-noise technology
IAIN ROBERTSON Road noise is something that the motorist hears, writes Iain Robertson, which can be exceptionally distracting, repetitively annoying and ultimately disturbing; a good reason for one carmaker...
Gareth Butterfield takes the mighty Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for a test drive
UNTIL fairly recently, the Land Rover Defender was one of the last mainstream cars on sale that looked pretty much the same as it did when its original version...
Much enhanced Renault Captur builds on recent Clio platform upgrade
IAIN ROBERTSON Working to a more evolutionary than revolutionary ethos, reports Iain Robertson, Renault’s highly popular Captur continues its customer captivating process with a raft of satisfying design, engineering...
Lexus adopts a ‘same-but-different’ stance for its luxurious RX and RX-L
IAIN ROBERTSON Look hard, look closely, your eyes may deceive you, suggests Iain Robertson, because, despite an extensive redesign for the luxurious Lexus RX, the latest model looks virtually...
Idiomatic Ignis (4×4) demonstrates Suzuki’s devil-in-the-details
IAIN ROBERTSON Apart from some obscure Japanese domestic market 4x4s, Ignis’s place in the European sub-compact go-almost-anywhere scene is only contested by the Fiat Panda 4×4, writes Iain Robertson,...
Aston Martin’s inbuilt ‘WOW!’ factor continues to inspire Great Britishness
IAIN ROBERTSON When Great British carmaker Aston Martin announced a £6m twin-car subscription offer, Iain Robertson found it tough to disguise his disbelief, although, with the first reliability trials...
Rodin Cars; guaranteed to make assume the pose and think
IAIN ROBERTSON Always keen to seek out the more ‘unusual’ motoring stories, Iain Robertson is astonished by the development of a New Zealand-based car manufacturer in the field of...
With a brand-new model due early next year, the current Honda Jazz extols a simpler, more practical life
IAIN ROBERTSON For almost 18 years, the entire Honda UK range offering has been supported by one of the best superminis available, writes Iain Robertson, as he recalls some...
Entry-level XC40 confirms the Sino-Swedish firm’s engineering finesse
IAIN ROBERTSON Having commenced building its own engines, rather than relying on buying them in, writes Iain Robertson, Volvo risked criticism but none has been forthcoming, mainly because they...
Gareth Butterfield takes the mighty Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for a test drive
UNTIL fairly recently, the Land Rover Defender was one of the last mainstream cars on sale that looked pretty much the same as it did when its original version...
Lap of luxury A8 adopts plug-in electrification as Audi’s top model
IAIN ROBERTSON Having committed to a major electrification programme, the latest model to make the conversion is Audi’s senior league, super luxury contender, the A8, which Iain Robertson describes...
Taxi Noir: The Truth about Cats & Dogs
I’ve spoken a bit in recent articles about the passengers I pick up in my taxi, but not all our passengers are human, of course. We are obliged to...
Kia XCeed leads with ‘First Edition’ tech and a plethora of tasty details
IAIN ROBERTSON Clever Kia knows precisely how to titivate and tease its customers, reports Iain Robertson, and loading up the specification is a sure-fire method of drawing attention, while...
Reshaping the sporty crossover segment, the new Kia XCeed exceeds
IAIN ROBERTSON Declared by Kia as its ‘fourth model in the Ceed range’, Iain Robertson ponders over its place in the market and believes that XCeed delivers a more...
Gareth Butterfield tests the handsome new Peugeot 508SW
IF you think about it, it’s been a long time since there’s been a genuinely desirable estate car in the mainstream. Ever since the SUV boom investment in saloon...
Break out the flags! It’s time to be proud again! Bloodhound LSR is on-track
IAIN ROBERTSON Great Britain’s Land Speed Record car has arrived safely at the Hakskeenpan desert, Northern Cape, South Africa, states Iain Robertson, its home for the next month as the...
Automotive landmarks are infrequent but the all-new VW Golf Mark 8 is on the spot
IAIN ROBERTSON Having influenced over 35m customers since its 1974 introduction, reports Iain Robertson, Europe’s best-selling motorcar continues to set trends, establish new technological parameters and deliver its hefty...
The fine art of car retailing; in how many ways can a cat be skinned?
IAIN ROBERTSON Polestar, Volvo’s EV technology partner and producer of an ‘interesting’ new range of own-branded models, has decided to ‘change the face of vehicle retailing’, reports Iain Robertson,...
Who’dathunkit? Historic Ford values go interstellar
IAIN ROBERTSON When your dad broke the bank in the 1960s buying a £1,200 Ford Escort TC, which was twice the price of your mum’s Ford Anglia, highlights Iain...
Celebrating a silver – Audi’s 25 years of high-power living legacy
IAIN ROBERTSON From its first tentative steps, aided by Porsche and a rallying past that had been no less than stellar, writes Iain Robertson, Audi pursued high-power dependability as...
Gareth Butterfield finds himself falling for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
WHEN it comes to choosing a car, you can either have something properly sporty, like a supercar, or you can have an SUV. You can’t have your cake and...
Volvo reinforces its status with Polestar (re)Engineered models
IAIN ROBERTSON All prestige, upmarket car brands need a halo tuning arm, states Iain Robertson, and while Polestar has been on Volvo’s side-lines for a few years now, its...
Uniti One adopts style for its 3-seater urban runabout
IAIN ROBERTSON Based and manufactured in Lund, Sweden, but engineered by a British team from Norfolk, reports Iain Robertson, Uniti One is a brand-new urban mobility concept that is...
The phenomenon of modern car growth
IAIN ROBERTSON Vehicle finance specialist, Zuto, has produced a revealing popular car size chart that fascinated Iain Robertson so much that he wanted to share it… It is true...
Gareth Butterfield pokes round the cavernous new Vauxhall Combo Life XL
LOOK around any car supermarket these days and you’d be forgiven for thinking the once prolific MPV has completely disappeared from the options list. The SUV boom appears to...
The transformation of Toyota Mirai from (very) ugly duckling to beautiful swan
IAIN ROBERTSON Something very positive has occurred within Toyota’s design department, suggests Iain Robertson, as the Japanese firm’s most recent run of models is not only stand-out attractive but...
Nissan Juke turns from ‘automotive jape’ into justifiable maturity
IAIN ROBERTSON For the past decade, writes Iain Robertson, one of the most daring of new cars has led the compact crossover segment, with its avantgarde design and largely...
British specialist develops militarised Ford pickup
IAIN ROBERTSON Based at Shoreham, on England’s south coast, Ricardo Engineering has a longstanding and well-deserved reputation in the Armed Forces, explains Iain Robertson, which makes its special version...