Gareth Butterfield puts the tough new Toyota Hilux through its paces
WHEN the three banished buffoons from that pokey motoring programme, Top Gear, wanted to test an indestructible car, they picked a Toyota Hilux. For a while, it became a...
Jaguar loses its prestigious edge with F-Pace
IAIN ROBERTSON A mid-1990’s pursuit of greater volume sales (under Ford) continues (under Tata) for Great Britain’s former prestige marque, Jaguar, highlights Iain Robertson, a factor that runs...
Gareth Butterfield drives the Kia Niro
THINK of a hybrid car and you’ll probably picture the ubiquitous Toyota Prius. You’ll probably be imagining futuristic styling and swoopy angles, wrapping round smallaerodynamic wheels and enveloping a...
‘Classic’ Fiat sports car possesses time honoured appeal
IAIN ROBERTSON While his praise of Fiat has not been exactly wholesale in recent years, Iain Robertson applauds the company for sidelining the ‘500’ badge but resurrecting 124...
Giulietta’s sad tidings from AR’s stable of rarities
IAIN ROBERTSON For the car buyer seeking something different to the mainstream offerings, Alfa Romeo ought to exceed expectations but, suggests Iain Robertson, a Giulietta will never be...
Suzuki re-ignites Whizzkid passions with all-new Ignis
IAIN ROBERTSON Almost every carmaker has delved into its past for design inspiration and Suzuki is no different in that respect, although Iain Robertson highlights that its...
Peugeot’s 108 baby takes a surprisingly sporty upturn
IAIN ROBERTSON An undying fan of subcompact city-cars and their (mostly) engines, Iain Robertson explores the latest addition to the Gallic carmaker’s line-up and concludes that we should...
Ailing Subaru returns from the brink
IAIN ROBERTSON Think four-wheel-drive and Subaru is not a brand that springs automatically to mind, highlights Iain Robertson, as the low-volume carmaker carries out a niche recovery in the...
Audi Q3 looks good, feels good and does you good (just hide the options list)
IAIN ROBERTSON Highly appealing junior-league SUV from Audi is more than just another niche-filler, writes Iain Robertson, although he advises caution (as usual), when it comes to accessorising, which...
SAM’S SLOT: Is this the best hot hatch ever?
Sam Phillips The hot hatchback market is highly competitive and car manufactures will push engineering boundaries to create the best one possible. Over the years we have seen many...
Gareth Butterfield tests the small but perfectly formed Mitsubishi ASX
IF you squint a bit, the front end of Mitsubishi’s ASX crossover looks a little bit like an ‘Evo (that’s street slang for the bonkers Lancer Evolution the...
Seat Toledo blows hot and cold
IAIN ROBERTSON When the consumer believes that a brand regarded as falling into the ‘budget’ category does not, highlights Iain Robertson, it will beg the question related to how...
75 years is a god-like achievement for Jeep
IAIN ROBERTSON With the motorcar well into its second century of commercial mobility, Iain Robertson notes that a raft of half, three-quarters and ton-up celebrations are making automotive headline...
Citigo disposal marks end of a Skoda era
IAIN ROBERTSON Having been ‘faithful’ to the Skoda brand since 1996, Iain Robertson admits to a soupcon of regret, as he bids farewell to his most recent model that...
SAM’S SLOT: The car that will never be forgotten
28th October 2016 Sam Phillips Britain has a strong motoring history and over the years we have seen some outstanding pieces of engineering. We have been lucky enough to...
Peugeot tackles crossover 2008 with greater gusto
IAIN ROBERTSON From every design angle to its cross-climate tyres, Iain Robertson is delighted to sample the latest version of the quirky but smart 2008 from Peugeot, which he...
Small engine should be no deterrent for VW Golf customers
IAIN ROBERTSON While the original 1974 Golf was an ‘icon’ (a much-misused term), the latest Mark 7 variant is a repository for new-tech and Iain Robertson believes that its...
Audi defines quality and establishes parameters with allroad
IAIN ROBERTSON While hating the occasional carmaker trend towards lower-casing (and worse) some of its product names, Iain Robertson can perceive the bigger picture presented by Audi, with its...
Perchance to dream…is McLaren worthy of applause?
IAIN ROBERTSON Think ‘supercar’ and a host of Italianate names comes to mind, a factor that Iain Robertson feels is the one, vital aspect that might have a negative...
Seat takes ‘urban warrior’ to new peaks with Ateca SUV
IAIN ROBERTSON Jacking up a motorcar, not to steal its alloys, has become highly popular around the motor industry and Iain Robertson takes an overview of the latest offering...
Fiat demonstrates how to make a sportscar (cost effectively)
IAIN ROBERTSON The inimitable two-seater drop-top (or ‘rag-top’) has a valuable role to play in the automotive scene, states Iain Robertson, although development economics being what they are, it...
IR, humble pie and the Mitsubishi PHEV
IAIN ROBERTSON While admitting that he is not a foremost fan of consuming humble pie, Iain Robertson endured a massive learning curve and reveals that the top-selling Mitsubishi Outlander...
Fiat Tipo touches the heartstrings in unexpected places
IAIN ROBERTSON Resurrecting a model name has become a Fiat pastime in recent years and Iain Robertson fears that a lack of intuition might demonstrate an unfortunate automotive tedium...
Suzuki takes ‘more of the same’ to another peak with S-Cross
IAIN ROBERTSON – BCingU – CARS – Just over three years since the introduction of the most recent SX4 S-Cross ‘SUV’, Suzuki has seen fit to make some...
SAM’S SLOT: My first Car!
SAM PHILLIPS Where do we start with such an iconic car? A masterpiece is one word for the Mini Cooper, another would be fun. This is the vehicle that...
Gareth Butterfield says Lexus has found its sweet spot with the GS300h
EARLIER this year I drove the Lexus RC Coupe. It looks like the sort of car that would tear your face off and then go and eat...
Volvo’s ‘V’ equals Vast, as well as Versatile, in its latest estate
IAIN ROBERTSON Introduced at the same time as the S90 saloon variant, the V90 is intended to fill a notional slot in the market that Volvo ‘deserted’ in 1998,...
10 Things I Love About Mallorca.
I love Mallorca because it has retained its roots despite its Package Tour reputation and people saying ‘Majorca’ in silly voices! Mallorca only has a few tourist areas round...
Pickup of the Year exercises Mitsubishi’s DNA
IAIN ROBERTSON For more than 60 years, Japanese carmaker, Mitsubishi, has been something of a truck expert, writes Iain Robertson, and its latest L200, now in its fifth series,...
Cross-breeding results in a Crossover of Infiniti proportions
IAIN ROBERTSON – BCingU – CARS – It all depends on your viewpoint but cross-fertilisation, suggests Iain Robertson, can result in a stronger and more resilient end-product, a...
Whomsoever said that you ‘should never harbour regrets’ was not a 246 fan!
IAIN ROBERTSON Being teased daily by a bright red sportscar became a year-long obsession for Iain Robertson, whose appreciation of massive growth in the classic car arena was, at...
Autonomous Motoring and how to avoid ‘The Fear Factor’
IAIN ROBERTSON It is natural to feel wary of new technology, writes Iain Robertson, especially when applied to the motorcar but autonomous motoring? Well, that’s a different field altogether!...
End-of-the-line for the current Vauxhall Insignia
IAIN ROBERTSON Over eight years is a long time, these days, for a car’s lifespan, states Iain Robertson, especially without receiving major mid-life revisions, but, for Vauxhall’s largest model,...
Ford adds a fresh Edge to its SUV offering
IAIN ROBERTSON The last time that Ford Motor Company ‘explored’ the large SUV sector in the UK and Europe was with the aptly-named, US-built Explorer model, writes Iain Robertson,...
Need some room? You need Vauxhall’s ‘spaceship’ Astra
IAIN ROBERTSON Practicality is one of the most sought after attributes of many consumer items, not the least being the motorcar, writes Iain Robertson, even though designers, stylists and...
Kia’s elder statesman Venga serves blue-rinse purpose
IAIN ROBERTSON It is so easy to contemplate the role of South Korean carmaker Kia, as a world car competitor, writes Iain Robertson, although its present line-up retains an...
Gareth Butterfield spends seven days in Kia’s new Sportage
DAY ONE THE Kia Sportage arrives. I loved the last Kia Sportage, it was more stylish than it really needed to be, great to drive an absolute bargain. This...
MG’s quietly quaint resurrection of a questionable ‘British’ brand
IAIN ROBERTSON It does not take a motoring ‘expert’ to spread the word that ‘MG is back’, of a sort, writes Iain Robertson, as he re-samples an MG3 but...
Ford’s Fastest FiestaST200
IAIN ROBERTSON Battleship grey has never been the most dynamic of colours, whether applied to the USS Enterprise, or HMS Ark Royal, states Iain Robertson, who will attempt...
Ravenna’s Lost Canals, Italy
To the North of the Appenines, (known as Italy’s backbone) lies the Po River and its 200+ tributaries, stretching from West to East. Its watercourses have changed dramatically over...