Revised Velar takes another tilt at upmarket SUV sector
IAIN ROBERTSON While not suggesting that the previous Velar was on a hiding to nothing, Iain Robertson was heartily disappointed by the original test example’s electronic failures, which were...
Most purposeful 4WD from the Czech bus maker you’ve never heard of…
IAIN ROBERTSON Ever keen to introduce you to some of the world’s most novel forms of transport, Iain Robertson, no fan of SUVs, believes that the ultimate off-roader is...
The Mini that should be renamed MAXI is revised again as Countryman
IAIN ROBERTSON Any vestiges of original Mini-ness are now totally removed with the largest version of BMW’s comic-book replica of the once-British stalwart, reports Iain Robertson, as a comprehensively...
New mild-hybrid Rio proves that Kia remains on top regardless
IAIN ROBERTSON Gone are the days when Iain Robertson would refer to Kia as a ‘coming car company’, so well-paced has been its developmental curve and so highly regarded...
New Cupra Formentor sounds formidable, or perhaps it is just unhappy with taking a back Seat.
IAIN ROBERTSON Pondering over the potential of VW’s Seat division as a malcontent, Iain Robertson can see its value but not the premium status of its sub-plot Cupra and...
If you like your hot hatch cocktail shaken and stirred, invest in a Renault Megane RS
IAIN ROBERTSON Both RS 300 and RS Trophy versions of the Megane have been under the surgeon’s knife, highlights Iain Robertson, in the process underscoring a pair of the...
Living with Vitara – Covid-19 report
IAIN ROBERTSON Modern motorcars are far more demanding of their owners than many of us might suspect, highlights Iain Robertson, as he contemplates the ‘cost’ of delayed MOTs,...
VW knows that if you wait long enough for a bus, three come at once and Clubsport GTi falls into the category
IAIN ROBERTSON Having been exceptionally critical of the ‘Golfate’, as Iain Robertson has christened the eighth generation of the popular German hatchback, following the RenaultSport Megane and Hyundai i30N,...
Volvo makes electricity an high-priced commodity in its new XC40 P8
IAIN ROBERTSON With the sole intention of making its mark, or yuan, reports Iain Robertson, Volvo loads-up its first EV version of the much-admired XC40 with every imaginable bell-and-whistle,...
Unpronounceable Ssangyong survives with revitalised Tivoli
IAIN ROBERTSON South Korean Ssangyong (just ignore the first ‘S’) has been US supportive, Chinese owned and riven with controversy since it was formed in 1986, highlights Iain Robertson,...
Latest BMW Mini connects the dots for spiciest Works variant yet
IAIN ROBERTSON Although BMW regards its 20 years old version of the Mini as an ‘icon’, Iain Robertson holds fast on the 61 years old Issigonis original for the...
Try to ignore the ‘schnozz’ on the latest BMW 128ti, as it is what lies behind it that matters most!
IAIN ROBERTSON Cyrano de Bergerac was a Gallic novelist, playwright and duellist, highlights Iain Robertson, yet he will forever be remembered for possessing a most sizeable nose, a factor...
Vauxhall prays that motorists’ lives will be mocked without a Mokka!
IAIN ROBERTSON Stymied by ‘lockdown’, the latest Corsa has enjoyed zero market wiggle-room before PSA Group’s insistent and unrelenting product planners weigh-in with the forthcoming crossover variant, about which...
Think 4×4 anywhere in the world and Toyota percolates to the top
IAIN ROBERTSON Not intended as an insult to Land Rover, emphasises Iain Robertson, although jingoists may read it that way, venturing off the beaten track has been a Toyota...
Dipping into VW Group’s enormous spare parts bins enables new Audi A3 hybrid development
IAIN ROBERTSON At a moment in time, when the automotive business is looking all shaky and EV charged, highlights Iain Robertson, it is heart-warming for fans of quality cars...
Despite the virus, Skoda testing continues with new Enyaq iV
IAIN ROBERTSON Snapped opportunistically as it piles on the proving miles, reports Iain Robertson, the next and possibly most important step in Skoda’s brand development has been revealed in...
MG elects for ‘conventional’ approach to its latest MG5 EV estate car
IAIN ROBERTSON Describing the atmosphere as ‘heavy with irony’, Iain Robertson reviews the new MG5 SW and appreciates its ‘compact Passat’ stance, mainly because it is NOT an SUV...
Can PSE actually boost the brand, or is Peugeot’s business acumen forever Sino-tainted?
IAIN ROBERTSON Unsure of whether to revel in Peugeot’s latest launch, or to chuckle at its inherent wit, Iain Robertson questions the logic of relaunching ‘Peugeot Sport Engineered’, which...
As readily defensible as oak and Coke, an all-new Moke might be 3rd-time-lucky!
IAIN ROBERTSON At around the same time as he developed the ubiquitous classic Mini, states Iain Robertson, the inventor of the Car of the Century also designed a rudimentary...
It’s all about the ‘schnozz’, as far as BMW’s new M3 and M4 are concerned
IAIN ROBERTSON Having focused earlier this year on the changing face of BMW, Iain Robertson believed that familiarity with the Munich firm’s much-altered grille outline and the slow but...
Love ’em, or loathe ’em, you can’t avoid ’em – Anatomy of the SUV
IAIN ROBERTSON Treated literally, the Sport Utility Vehicle is an horrendous misnomer, writes Iain Robertson, possessing some elements of all-wheel drive, on a hiked-up, family-orientated platform that ought to...
Sometimes, being ‘disagreeable’ can reveal con-jobs and skulduggery
IAIN ROBERTSON Realising that he is hardly alone in questioning the premature return-to-work strategy being exercised almost wholesale across the UK motor industry, Iain Robertson is concerned about other...
Isuzu D-Max XTR (Colour Edition) makes purpose work
IAIN ROBERTSON Introduced originally as a ‘concept’ by International Motors Group, the official importer of Isuzu pickup trucks to the UK market, Iain Robertson is only too delighted to...
Survival forces Suzuki into strategic alliance with Toyota for Swace
IAIN ROBERTSON Things are tough at present across the entire motor industry but, writes Iain Robertson, the deal between Suzuki and Toyota was struck long before the pandemic did...
Next-generation Audi A3 saloon benefits from substantial character injection
IAIN ROBERTSON With deliveries hoped to commence this summer, reports Iain Robertson, Audi’s latest compact 4-door has become more mature and markedly less of a niche-filler than its predecessor,...
Genesis – The car you almost certainly never promised yourself
IAIN ROBERTSON Despite teasing British motoring journalists for the past decade, reports Iain Robertson, Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai, has been shaping up in other new car markets,...
New Peugeot 3008 and how fruit often goes putrid from within
IAIN ROBERTSON Seldom has Iain Robertson felt so alienated by one single motorcar (perhaps a pair), as he has been by the latest crop of SUVs (3008/5008) from Peugeot,...
Recognition of great design does no harm to Mazda’s fine repute
IAIN ROBERTSON At a time when the motor industry is free thankfully of mainstream mundanity, Iain Robertson is utterly delighted that his tip-for-the-top from May 2019, the new...
New Merc S-Class confounds critics, rivals and customers but it should not be a surprise.
IAIN ROBERTSON Every time Daimler-Benz launches a new version of its most prestigious S-Class, it would be fair for Iain Robertson to state that its technological mandate is not...
Subaru and the death-defying vital automotive safety factor
IAIN ROBERTSON It can be either totally swamping, or too easy to ignore, but, states Iain Robertson, the wide-ranging subject of in-car, passive and active safety addenda, whether considered...
While not exactly ‘same again’ for Lotus, Evija evinces a familiar supercar style
IAIN ROBERTSON Norfolk-based sportscar manufacturer, Lotus, is promising customers of its cut above electric hypercar an intriguing experiential programme, highlights Iain Robertson, of an order that is sure to...
The Sensual Appeal of I.C.E. and Automobilia
IAIN ROBERTSON From the Sound of Silence to the Art of Noise, the tactility of textiles to the aroma of weathered hide, even tangential taste, Iain Robertson cites sight...
When we return to ‘normal’, go buy that 4×4 you always promised yourself!
IAIN ROBERTSON From years of near-maniacal 4×4 antipathy, Iain Robertson is relenting and highlighting that ‘life is simply too short’ to hold so much prejudice, because we all need...
CALLING ALL PETROL HEADS!
Here’s an opportunity to get out to a real live event – the Gaydon Gatherings. Ann Evans has the details. The British Motor Museum is delighted to announce...
Kia plugs in to broaden Ceed line-up but misses a trick on pricing
IAIN ROBERTSON Judicious enough to stick to a solus model format for its all-new PHEV version of the Sportswagon model, states Iain Robertson, Kia plays a clever game in...
Sparky Suzuki Ignis wins appeal for likeability, practicality and affordability
IAIN ROBERTSON It is the ‘Holy Trinity’ of automotive desires, states Iain Robertson, at which Suzuki’s car division is surprisingly adept but, despite the impact of the pandemic, at...
Hyundai does Porsche with tiller-less Prophecy
IAIN ROBERTSON As with several models and concepts, Prophecy obtained a digital premiere in March, highlights Iain Robertson, and, unlike many design concepts, this one teases several ideas and...
From an acronym obsessed motor industry, the important ‘WLTP’ is explained
IAIN ROBERTSON From ABS* to ZE*, it does seem as though the world’s motor industry has created its own Dictionary of Initials, highlights Iain Robertson, but finding out the...
PSA has a problem that Vauxhall can resolve
IAIN ROBERTSON In all the automotive shenanigans that have taken place over the past decade, highlights Iain Robertson, one of the most concerning has been the unwarranted and sudden...
Get an eyeful of Evora, as Lotus scales the junior supercar ranking
IAIN ROBERTSON Whether appealing to enthusiast, or money-spinner, Lotus is a brand possessing a troubled history of more than seven decades, writes Iain Robertson, following Italian Ferrari’s business model...