The Car. The Future. Me.
Ann Evans reports on the latest events at The British Motor Museum, Gaydon. There’s always so much going on at The British Motor Museum at...
Taxi Noir: An Introduction
I offer a warm welcome to anyone about to read my first introductory piece – and of course a big Hello to my fellow contributors. My name is Chris...
Bentley feels proud to be ‘British’ in setting new US hillclimb record
IAIN ROBERTSON Unlike its former stablemate, Rolls-Royce, at least Bentley can claim that it still designs, develops and produces complete cars in the UK, highlights Iain Robertson, as the...
Introducing its 3rd-gen solus Soul sold in the UK, Kia builds EV status
IAIN ROBERTSON Amazingly, this is the third generation of the ground-breaking Kia Soul, which was in the vanguard of all-electric motorcars in 2014, writes Iain Robertson, and which has...
VOLVO’S new design direction
VOLVO’S new design direction really isn’t that “new” any more. It was the XC90 SUV that first introduced us to what would become an entirely new look for the...
BMW beguiles the Mini buying market with promising EV
IAIN ROBERTSON Owned and engineered by BMW and possessing more motoring clichés than might be healthy, highlights Iain Robertson, it is easy to be cynical about the latest Mini...
THE XV is Subaru’s smallest SUV.
THE XV is Subaru’s smallest SUV. They’re good at this sort of thing – building capable, solid and dependable off-roaders, and the XV is probably one of the lesser-known...
Ford Focus vastly improved with Sporting Technologies
IAIN ROBERTSON While having been left ‘unmoved’ by the basic Ford Focus, reports Iain Robertson, the significantly more focused ST variant continues a positive stance, from where the previous...
He’s only gone and acquired one! The latest Suzuki Vitara 1.0SZ-T
IAIN ROBERTSON Having raved about the Vitara model since its inception, it was only a matter of time before Iain Robertson would commit his own funds to acquiring an...
New Compass points at progressive future for Jeep brand
IAIN ROBERTSON Pitched into a hectic mid-size SUV sector, writes Iain Robertson, may be a good reason for the notionally right-sized Compass model to be up against it but...
Small SUVs on the market usually have all the personality of a toast rack.
ONE of the problems I have with the endless range of small SUVs on the market is that they usually have all the personality of a toast rack. There...
Seat is a car company with a classic past that has an equally vital future
IAIN ROBERTSON For the first time in its history, Seat transported three of its immaculate classic models to the UK and allowed Iain Robertson the opportunity to be whisked...
Seat infusion reveals intriguing future shift for Spanish brand
IAIN ROBERTSON Indulging in Seat’s current Tour of Europe, Iain Robertson spent time with its products, its managers and its history, which not simply proved the investment in the...
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Smart ForTwo!
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Smart ForTwo. It’s a cute and cool two-seater with famously diminutive proportions, unique road manners and plenty of trademark “quirks”. This,...
Bring on the Seat Leon Cupra R ST, tuned by ABT for a mere £500!
IAIN ROBERTSON No, you are not misreading the headline…Seat has extended its Cupra might to the final run of ‘normal’ Seats to carry the name, reports Iain Robertson, as...
A touch of ‘Old Skool’ makes Kia Ceed GT a best-in-breed by far!
IAIN ROBERTSON Reflecting on the current crop of GTi-class hatchbacks, states Iain Robertson, can lead to bamboozlement in its rivals’ race for increasing potency but, if you desire a...
VOLVO’S new design direction really isn’t that “new” any more.
It was the XC90 SUV that first introduced us to what would become an entirely new look for the Swedish brand and that, believe it or not, was back...
Zest, class and comfort in abundance with Audi SQ2
IAIN ROBERTSON Consumer choice has never been broader in the still growing compact SUV/crossover market segment, highlights Iain Robertson, although Audi really knows how to turn on the style...
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...
Rachel’s Wanderings in Spain – 4 – Stunning Scenery in Seville Province
Andalucia never ceases to amaze me. Twenty-three years I’ve lived here now and the views, the open roads, the scenery is always beautiful. Different around every corner. This...
Do small SUVs have the personality of a toast rack?
ONE of the problems I have with the endless range of small SUVs on the market is that they usually have all the personality of a toast rack. There...
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...
Honda Integra Type R.
DAY ONE THE car I’ve been testing this week is something of a personal indulgence. The nice man at Honda asked me if I’d like to try one of...
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...
Fiat’s 500X is a great example of how the jacked-up look can be made more attractive than ground-hugging hatches.
WHILE I’ll never understand the collective lure of the “crossover”, a style of car that’s slowly killing off the once mighty hatchback, Fiat’s 500X is a great example of...
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,...
Gareth Butterfield reviews the new special edition Toyota Yaris Y20
TOYOTA is a firm that’s often been proud of its heritage, and it’s always made a song and dance about the milestones of its most popular models. The Yaris,...
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...
Gareth Butterfield takes the new Kia Sportage on a test drive
THERE seems to be a Kia Sportage everywhere you look these days. It was very much a case of right car, right time for Kia and its sales have...
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...