Audi redefines the large SUV sector with RS version of the Q8
IAIN ROBERTSON Hot on the heels of its main rival Merc, highlights Iain Robertson, Audi has revamped its Q8 with a blisteringly rapid variant that will demand a driver...
Book Reviews
IAIN ROBERTSON There has seldom been a more apposite time to highlight the latest automotive books worth reading than now, states Iain Robertson, and you can order copies direct...
Gareth Butterfield watches MG make a big step forward with the all-electric ZS EV
ELECTRIC cars are all the industry seems to be talking about at the moment. The government is rather keen on them, too. But the consumer appears to be more...
AM reveals its DBX hand that promises substantial grand touring potential
IAIN ROBERTSON With first UK deliveries expected in late-spring 2020, the £158,000 Aston Martin five-seater should provide a vital rescue line for the prestigious British sporting car manufacturer and...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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’...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...