Et voila! Renault Clio.
IT’S hard to believe that the first Renault Clios burst onto the scene, helped along by “Nicole” and her “Papa” in the TV adverts, 30 years ago. And just...
Gareth Butterfield tests Kia’s eco-conscious Niro Hybrid
DESPITE its arguably dull looks, the Niro, Kia’s dumpy small SUV, seems to have become a showcase for the Korean firm’s technological advances. It’s a bit of a stand-out...
Gareth Butterfield finds plenty to like in the mid-range Subaru Levorg
SUBARU needed to plug a gap in its UK range between the off-road biased Outback and the compact Impreza, so it brought over one of its models that’s selling...
Gareth Butterfield tests the revised Honda Civic
THERE is, believe it or not, a new version of the new version of the Honda Civic. We’re now in the 10th generation of the popular hatchback, and it...
Gareth Butterfield tests the latest version of the Honda HR-V
IT’S quite hard to pigeon-hole the Honda HR-V. On one hand it’s a small, moderately sporty hatchback with jacked-up suspension, a practical interior and Honda’s legendary reliability. Or is...
Gareth Butterfield takes a wild ride in one of the maddest Abarth creations yet, the 595 Essesse
I’VE always had a soft-spot for anything with an Abarth badge. The basic principle behind the Italian brand is to take a run-of-the-mill Fiat and inject it with an...
Gareth Butterfield tests the new-look Jeep Renegade
THE Jeep Renegade was launched in 2015 and has been a strong seller for the Fiat-owned American brand. Its chunky, distinctive looks are very familiar now – but it’s...
Gareth Butterfield dons his work-boots and reviews the Mitsubishi L200
THIS is the new Mitsubishi L200. Imposing, isn’t it? While the last one could have as slender by comparison to rivals, athletic perhaps, this new version looks butch and...
Gareth Butterfield reviews the latest version of the Suzuki Vitara
IF you’re as old as I am you might be able to cast your mind back more than 30 years to the original Suzuki Vitara. It was a bit...
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...
Gareth Butterfield tries to make sense of the classy and quirky DS3 Crossback
IN case you’ve not been formally introduced, DS Automobiles is a new brand for the PSA group that owns Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall. And we’re now at the stage...
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...
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...
Gareth Butterfield tests the posh and pretty Range Rover Velar
I CAN remember the days when, if you walked into a Land Rover Showroom you’d have a choice of the Defender or a Range Rover. Simple, clear-cut options that...
Gareth Butterfield tests the Toyota Corolla, Toyota’s new British-built stunner
THE Toyota Corolla bears the best-selling badge in the world. We might not have seen a new one pootling around the UK for a long time, but this genuinely...
Gareth Butterfield enjoys a week in the new Toyota Rav4
LOOKING back over the evolution of this, Toyota’s very latest Rav4, is a bit like taking a wander through the company’s highs and lows. Back in the 1990s, when...
Gareth Butterfield tests the smart new apostrophe-free Kia Ceed
IF you’ve never bought a Kia before, prepare to be surprised. And if you’re already a fan of the marque, prepare to be delighted. The new Ceed is really...
Gareth Butterfield picks out the changes in the new Kia Sportage
THE Kia Sportage, one of the brand’s best-selling cars, has been given a bit of a nip and tuck. But while you have to look hard to spot the...
Gareth Butterfield tests the Toyota Corolla, Toyota’s new British-built stunner
THE Toyota Corolla bears the best-selling badge in the world. We might not have seen a new one pootling around the UK for a long time, but this genuinely...
Gareth Butterfield’s trip down Memory Lane in the Honda Integra Type-R was one of his most memorable reviews of the year
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...
Tried and tested or tired and tossed aside? Why Gareth Butterfield thinks the Nissan Qashqai is worthy of its place at the top of the crossover sales tree
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Gareth Butterfield tests the Volvo V60 Cross Country
THE Volvo range is properly sorted now. In fact, you could argue it’s better than it’s ever been. We’re still waiting for a “small” car to replace the V40...
Gareth Butterfield drives Honda’s new hybrid CR-V
THERE’S a lot to like about the Honda CR-V. It’s a stylish, practical, comfortable and refined SUV that has evolved well and has become one of the best options...
Gareth Butterfield takes the exciting new Hyundai i30 N for a test drive
WHEN I first drove the Hyundai i30 N I was bowled over. Here’s a company that has had several stabs at making sporty cars, but never really offered one...
Gareth Butterfield tests Kia’s latest design highlight, the Proceed
IF Kia had launched its Proceed 10 years ago, the world would have done a collective double-take. Nowadays, it’s just another pretty car that’s been launched by the firm....
Gareth Butterfield reviews Lexus’s new entry into the small SUV market, the UX
IF you’re in the market for a small SUV – and, let’s face it, the world and his wife seems to be at the moment, then you’ve got a...
Gareth Butterfield spends a week in the all-electric Nissan Leaf
DAY ONE IF electric cars are the future then this, the Nissan Leaf, is a taste of it. I’ve driven lots of electric cars, and they’re often a bit...
Why Gareth Butterfield thinks the current Range Rover is the best car in the world
AS a motoring journalist I’m frequently asked what I think the best car in the world is. It’s not an easy question to answer. For instance, if I wanted...
Gareth Butterfield thinks Renault has finally hit the sweet spot with its Koleos SUV
WHEN Renault last brought the “Koleos” name to the market it was a bit ahead of its time. SUV buyers in those days were either being called “Chelsea Tractor”...
Gareth Butterfield says taking the Suzuki Jimny for a spin was well worth the wait
I’VE had to wait a long time to review this car. And that’s not because they’re rare, it’s because journalists have been queuing up to try it. Suzuki’s Jimny...
The C5 Aircross, Citroen’s new foray into the world of the family crossover (yes, another niche we probably didn’t see coming)
SOME cars have comfortable seats. Others have comfortable suspension. The C5 Aircross, Citroen’s new foray into the world of the family crossover (yes, another niche we probably didn’t...
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...