Recycling results in Renault’s ‘plastic’ upholstery (on the Zoe EV at least)
IAIN ROBERTSON While it may take time, largely due to the development of new machinery, reports Iain Robertson, when the motor industry invests in its eco-future, it can do...
Seat’s first all-electric Mii is ready to be ordered now (delivery: March 2020)
IAIN ROBERTSON Although potential buyers will not see their cars until the end of March 2020, reports Iain Robertson, based on the same technology as the VW up! and...
BMW takes 3-Series and reinforces its staple proposition
IAIN ROBERTSON With more emphasis on ‘M-Sport’ elements than ever, writes Iain Robertson, BMW already knows how to turn a cute profit but, with the launch version of its...
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...
“Isolation…that’s the name of the game!”
IAIN ROBERTSON Donning his best gold lame jacket, stage smile and sparkling teeth, Iain Robertson reflects on a government enforced staycation, at home, along with pretty much the rest...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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’...
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...
Drawn to T-Roc R? VW might have a less trendy, less costly option to consider.
IAIN ROBERTSON You cannot blame carmakers from wanting to make a buck, states Iain Robertson, but trendiness carries invariably a premium and, with T-Roc R running just shy of...
New Audi RS4 could be an admirable ‘dinosaur’ from the Bronze Age
IAIN ROBERTSON It is a strictly limited-edition model, of just 25 examples, priced from a whopping £82,395, but Iain Robertson is tickled pink that Audi is adopting a defiant...
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...
Merc indulges in diesel with its latest GLE/GLC plug-in hybrids
IAIN ROBERTSON In a genuine case of ‘if Merc doesn’t know better, nobody will’, writes Iain Robertson, its latest hybrid development relies on diesel as its core resource, while...
Back-to-basics for brilliant Jazz will pay dividends to Honda
IAIN ROBERTSON Convinced that Honda has actually heard his criticisms and pleas over the past couple of decades, Iain Robertson delights in the latest Jazz model, which winds back...
With new 3-Series Touring, BMW polishes an untarnished and popular model
IAIN ROBERTSON Popularity counts for a lot in today’s new car scene and the BMW 3-Series Touring, of which over 500,000 examples of the previous iteration found contented homes,...
No surprises from Mitsubishi, with its latest bargain basement Mirage
IAIN ROBERTSON It is an inescapable fact that some new car buyers just want a cheap motorcar and, suggests Iain Robertson, with Suzuki having withdrawn its ‘not so green’...
Honda adopts a different and defiantly attractive slant to the ‘EVolution’
IAIN ROBERTSON Japanese carmaker Honda has performed a magical ‘volte face’ with its all-electric contender for mini-car honours, states Iain Robertson, and it is one that reflects everything unsurprisingly...
Driving abroad post-‘Brexit’? There’s nothing to worry about, for the moment.
IAIN ROBERTSON If you were concerned about the impact of the UK departing the EU political construct, while understandable, writes Iain Robertson, mainly due to a distinct information shortfall,...
Under-fire Land Rover proves that it can over-endow in tech terms
IAIN ROBERTSON Over the past few months, Land Rover has responded to its critics by introducing the remarkable new Defender, highlights Iain Robertson, which is armed with advanced technology...
Dacia, whether pronounced ‘Dacier’, or ‘Datcher’, is an automotive gift
IAIN ROBERTSON Every industry needs its ‘Poundstretcher’, its entry-level to whichever, to gain market traction and to provide a perception of good value, where none may exist, and Iain...
Volkswagen recalls its past more judiciously these days
IAIN ROBERTSON Although the German car-producing giant, Volkswagen, may have been ‘in denial’ for five-and-a-half decades post-WW2, highlights Iain Robertson, at the turn of the New Millennium, it faced...
Crash testing reveals problems that some carmakers prefer you did not know
IAIN ROBERTSON The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro-NCAP) is a destruction-test procedure that takes place in several European countries, reports Iain Robertson, including Thatcham Research, in Berkshire, all...
Toyota’s ‘inner sanctum’ produces rally-bred hot-rod in Mark Two form
IAIN ROBERTSON To an enthusiast, the frisson of excitement surrounding a motorsport developed road car is palpable, as Iain Robertson pulls back the covers on a more refined, more...
‘Mint and boxed’ Matchbox model cars make over £300,000 at auction
IAIN ROBERTSON When you consider that most of one man’s, 3,000-strong model collection had cost less than a few shillings each, highlights Iain Robertson, the desire to root around...
Who is Polestar, what is she? Flagship or frippery?
IAIN ROBERTSON Fearing that his anti-China stance will restrict his access to Volvo’s intriguing offshoot, Iain Robertson having already criticised Polestar’s retail presence takes an askew view of Polestar...
Let’s all go electrification CrAzY!…or not, as the case may be
IAIN ROBERTSON It does appear as though, during this period of ‘transition’, the entire motoring scene has gone haywire for electricity and battery power, states Iain Robertson, while introducing...
Ultimate automotive arrogance, or a viable future proposition?
IAIN ROBERTSON As one of the largest vehicle and technology companies in the world, Toyota has an important responsibility to fulfil, highlights Iain Robertson, but he also questions the...
Hyundai wants and needs you to be i10 impressed
IAIN ROBERTSON Like all the best coming-of-age parties, reports Iain Robertson, the innocuous, smaller member of the family blossoms into something worthier and makes you wonder why you had...
E-Pace might be the cat’s whiskers for Jaguar Cars
IAIN ROBERTSON While it has taken some time to obtain a test example, Iain Robertson has now managed to put the current Jaguar E-Pace under his intense scrutiny, from...