New Octavia is genuinely new for Skoda as it ventures further upmarket
IAIN ROBERTSON Invariably Golf-based and always classified as such, reports Iain Robertson, has never hindered the Octavia model’s perpetual hunt for recognition, which has been helped immeasurably by a...
Being safe on ‘smart’ motorways is essential
IAIN ROBERTSON Introducing so-called ‘smart’ motorways on our roads network may have seemed like a good idea but, suggests Iain Robertson, as with a lot of half-baked decisions made...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Upgraded HS replaces outmoded GS in MG line-up
IAIN ROBERTSON As one of the Sino-pioneers into the UK new car scene, MG has enjoyed something of a head start over a rash of future Chinese brands, states...
The rarity of a decent estate car is served by Volvo’s excellent V90
IAIN ROBERTSON Market shift is epitomised by Volvo’s development of the estate car genre, writes Iain Robertson, an up-market exercise that re-gauges quality control, supreme comfort and trim detailing,...
Loaded DS3 Crossback takes avant-garde route to compact car sector
IAIN ROBERTSON If you were moved by the swan-like DS7, as Iain Robertson was, then you will fall in love with the ‘ugly duckling’ DS3, as much for its...
Ford’s Ranger pickup truck benefits from rapturous Raptor package
IAIN ROBERTSON Following a growing trend for pre-packaged new models, according to Iain Robertson, the latest Ford Ranger Raptor tops the pickup truck lot with a seriously comprehensive specification...
Volvo’s roller-coaster ride rolls on with new XC90
IAIN ROBERTSON To be frank, Iain Robertson believes that ‘roller-coaster’ is inappropriate for Volvo Cars’ current and inexorable rise to the top, registrations of which are outstripping every luxury...
Tanks for the memories…
IAIN ROBERTSON If you have ever wondered what the five most powerful battle tanks in the world are, writes Iain Robertson, wonder no longer, as ‘’ has created a...
Porsche 911 C4S; eight generations in and still going strong
IAIN ROBERTSON Known within Porsche as the ‘Typ 992’, highlights Iain Robertson, and revised consistently through eight generations since 1963, the signature 911 Coupe is one of the most...
Thoroughly British Bentley basks Bentayga in hybrid technology
IAIN ROBERTSON It is almost too easy to dismiss the latest Bentley SUV as an over-priced excess, writes Iain Robertson, when it carries a price tag of over £133,500,...
The torrents did NOT stop play at SMMT North!
IAIN ROBERTSON The supportive body of the UK Motor Industry, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders Ltd (SMMT), hosts several events throughout every year that both Iain Robertson...
Toyota believes it can turn its Corolla Trek into a Star
IAIN ROBERTSON Toyota is clearly having a whale of a time with its recently introduced new Corolla model, which Iain Robertson believes will whisk the brand to fresh peaks...
Origami ID.3 may have insufficient identity for the VW brand
IAIN ROBERTSON As the biggest car company in the world, Volkswagen has a notional responsibility to lead the new car market, opines Iain Robertson, although he is concerned that...
It is guarded good news for Ineos, with plans for its purpose-built 4×4
IAIN ROBERTSON To be named ‘Grenadier’, after the pub in which it was conceived, writes Iain Robertson, this is the intended ‘rebuttal’ new model built to compete head-on with...
MS-RT Transit Connect; for when a standard van cannot meet personal demands
IAIN ROBERTSON The customised van market has been growing like Topsy in recent years, reports Iain Robertson, but for the first time ever, Ford is able to offer manufacturer...
Volvo V60 T8 is a fast but frugal express
IAIN ROBERTSON Volvo’s mid-size executive estate car is a paradigm for both business and private motoring demands, writes Iain Robertson, providing space, pace and agility but now incorporating plug-in...
Serving the Ford-approved needs of the customised van scene
IAIN ROBERTSON You would be exceptionally myopic to miss the impact of the custom van scene in the UK, diagnoses Iain Robertson, epitomised as it is by a growing...
How to review motorcars for a (largely) non-motoring audience
IAIN ROBERTSON There was a time, states Iain Robertson, when you would spot half a dozen shelves packed with motor-related titles, every time you visited your local newsagent, or...
Taycan takes technology to new peaks for Porsche
IAIN ROBERTSON When considering that Porsche has never done things by convention, states long-time fan Iain Robertson, you can comprehend that its all-electric Taycan offering is likely to break...
Momentous RS7 adds to Audi’s ‘pant-wetting’ performance schedule
IAIN ROBERTSON Making an impression has become the self-elevated premise of ‘Four Rings’ branded Audi, highlights Iain Robertson, especially when it introduces yet another model to its hugely desirable...