New 208 elevates Peugeot style in compact class-leading manner
IAIN ROBERTSON Nobody ever said that small cars had to be tedious to encounter, writes Iain Robertson, which is central to his fascination for the new 208 that introduces...
Gareth Butterfield is knocked out by the Suzuki Swift Attitude
IF you’re a fan of a sporty supermini but you’re on a tight budget then I have some good news. Suzuki has a treat in store for you. It’s...
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...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 26 Cameroon: Forty Ninety-Five High
Known as Mongomo Ndem – The Mountain of Thunder in Baweri, and Fako – Mountain in the Mokpe language. Mount Cameroon, rising to 4095m, is West Africa’s highest peak....
Enjoy a Glorious Springtime in the Garden with the NGS
Photos courtesy of the National Garden Scheme. Forget your troubles and enjoy Spring now that it’s here. Ann Evans has news of the NGS Open Gardens Spring has...
Steve’s Sojourns; Everyone loves penguins
A trip to the Antarctic will guarantee you see penguins. What it will not do is guarantee you see the ones you want. They may be some of the...
Harry’s Ramblings Chuff Chuff to Eastbourne
by Harry Pope I use the expression chuff chuff because in the old days of steam railways that was the sound made as the steam exited the chimney on...
Kill ‘Designer Desire’ and you kill pollution, kill ailments and foster life
IAIN ROBERTSON While it may sound extreme, there is much truth attached to the impact that humans have on their environment and, when Iain Robertson is informed about one...
Mumbai Memoir 122- The duality of a city like Mumbai!
When tourists visit any world-famous city, they are taken to the historical corners of the town or to the famous tourist spots by the tour guides. The visitors innocently...
Alfa leans on Sauber and ‘in-house’ Ferrari for hottest Giulia of them all
IAIN ROBERTSON Trawling through 110 years of history to replicate a fascination of half that age is either Latin folly, or limited production genius, highlights Iain Robertson, as he...
Taxi Noir. On Your Bike
Welcome to London, and the wild West End. Last summer there was an epidemic of people whizzing around London on motorised kids’ scooters. They were getting in everyone’s way...
All hail Skoda’s approach to mainstream modernity and its Octavia model!
IAIN ROBERTSON No less than ‘seven million’ Octavia models have rolled off the production lines at Skoda’s Mlada Boleslav factory since 1996 and Iain Robertson, both as a former...
Karl’s Chronicles Article 25 Cameroon: Open Enclosure
The vast, secretive Equatorial forests are home to an eclectic family of animals. Antelope, elephants, buffalo, pangolin, bongo, drill, numerous species of monkeys and abundant birdlife. An aged eco-system...
Japanese Art of Kaizen displayed in latest Audi RS4 Avant
IAIN ROBERTSON Kaizen defines as the oriental art of ‘continuous improvement’ and, suggests Iain Robertson, we appear to have been inundated this year by continuously updated and improved versions...
Steve’s Sojourns. First Female Cruise ship Captain.
For the first time in maritime history, an all-female bridge and onboard leadership team set sail yesterday, commemorating International Women’s Day. Led by Captain Kate McCue, the first American...
Why bother buying, when lying is the alternative in the eco-transport arena?
IAIN ROBERTSON According to recent research commissioned by Kia Motors, no less than seven in 10 Brits feel pressured by family and friends to be more eco-friendly, reports Iain...
Harry’s Ramblings Frinton in February
by Harry Pope The e-mail arrived, special out of season breaks at very sensible prices. One of the featured hotels happened to be where we had stayed a couple...
Gareth Butterfield plugs in for a ride in Hyundai’s all-electric Kona
WHETHER you like it or not, the electric car is here to stay. Very few of the mainstream manufacturers are ignoring the fact they’re selling well and there’s now...
The “Invalides”, a witness of French history since 1670 – Meanderings through France n° 211
ByAnnick Dournes & Frédéric de Poligny We all know the “Invalides” museum for being the place where Napoléon’s tomb is, but this huge place has much more to...
The brilliant city-car madness of the new Fiat 500!
IAIN ROBERTSON Fiat-Chrysler Group (FCA) may be in a parlous position at present, with Gallic PSA Group lingering like a vulture awaiting its next meal, but Iain Robertson has...
Worth going the extra mile to this Swiss Alpine village
By Ann Mealor The traditional Swiss village of Adelboden is found at the end of the Engstligen valley in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps. From December...
Citroen returns to naming basics with the ‘plugliest’ duckling ever
IAIN ROBERTSON There is no hope of the latest Ami transforming into a beautiful swan, yet Iain Robertson believes that, once the retch reflex relaxes, its EV access...
New Octavia vRS adopts a PHEV route to Skoda eco-contentedness
IAIN ROBERTSON While the pictures are just teaser quality, the actual shots being heavily embargoed until Press Day at Geneva, Iain Robertson assures you that the forthcoming Octavia vRS...
A Stranger in Vegas. From Vegas to North Carolina.
Las Vegas is the place for opportunities and cultural differenciation. It’s busy, active, and crowded. I am at the time when I need a less dynamic, quiet life. I...
Karl’s Chronicles. Cameroon: Natural Density
Contention in the pick-up mounts, as three of the ladies, heavily obese, force the insufferable driver into a human Tetris game. Rearranging between front and back seats to accommodate...
CUTE NEW ARRIVALS AT HATTON
Spring has almost sprung and Ann Evans reminds us of where we can discover some of the cutest spring-born animals. Hatton Adventure World will once again host its...
Steve’s Sojourns. Strictly Come Dancing!
Strictly Come Dancing favourite, Anton Du Beke and his dancing partner and former Strictly star Erin Boag will join Emerald Waterways for an eight-day Dancing Down The Rhône river...
Normandy cider, fit for demanding connoisseurs – Meanderings through France n° 210
By Annick Dournes For many people Normandy is synonymous with white and black cows, Camembert cheese, half-timbered houses and … apples! It’s a long-term love story...
AT-32, for when tough is not tough enough and Nissan manages the rough
IAIN ROBERTSON With memories of ‘Let’s off-road!’ ringing in his ears and worries that our snowflake generation has developed male appendage issues, Iain Robertson contemplates a manlier transport proposition...
Hyundai nails its i20 colours to the sensuously sporty mast
IAIN ROBERTSON As the parent of the South Korean Hyundai-Kia company, writes Iain Robertson, Hyundai has a constant internal battle to strengthen its role, while introducing purposeful new models...
Taxi Noir; Identity Crisis
Transport for London’s re-licencing rejection of Uber highlighted the practice of their drivers swapping ID. Passengers were being driven by people who pretended to be someone else – 14,000...
A1 Citycarver adds another string to Audi’s bow, not that it needs one
IAIN ROBERTSON Never mind ‘what’s in a name’, what’s with the urban SUV look, asks Iain Robertson, who feels that the renowned German brand may be taking one step...
Karl’s Chronicles. Article 23 Sao Tome: If These Walls Could Talk
Sao Tome, though a capital falls drastically short of being credited a city as we would know it. A third the size of Eastbourne and where the entire island...
Kia divides opinion with duplicitous new Sorento
IAIN ROBERTSON Accepting that styling can be very deceptive, as well as being subjective, Iain Robertson feels that the latest large SUV from Kia, set to be introduced at...
Leon sales success leads to all-new Cupra line-up for Seat’s pinnacle brand
IAIN ROBERTSON Admitting that he should avoid the ‘S’ word in conjunction with the Spanish firm’s upmarket, high-performance, niche aspirations, Iain Robertson is concerned that bolstering the new ‘C’...
Life Begins at 69
by Harry Pope When I was 69, I had a pacemaker fitted, which transformed my life. Before, I was fainting a lot in inconvenient places when my heart beat...
Gareth Butterfield tests the twin-engined Volvo V90 T8
THEY don’t seem to come around all that often, but I do have a soft spot for a properly fast Volvo. So imagine my delight when they said...
Leon undergoes comprehensive evolution for revitalised Seat
IAIN ROBERTSON Provided with an early opportunity to review the latest Seat Leon, Iain Robertson admits that it took a ‘double-take’ to appreciate that it is a completely new...
The devil’s in the details and the all-new Toyota Yaris proves it
IAIN ROBERTSON Having already provided a glimpse of Toyota’s forthcoming rally weapon, Iain Robertson is delighted to reveal the rest of the Yaris line-up, which is the first application...
A stranger in Vegas The McKee Ranch Foundation
Life is beautiful and funny if instead of just complaining about it, we start deeply looking at it. I recently lost a deep close person to my heart. The...