Kia’s All New Sportage Mid-Sized SUV First Drive. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). SUVs, Crossovers, dual purpose and 4x4s in all sizes are definitely high in demand, being the best-selling new car class in Europe and in the UK they make up the third largest sales sector with 355,118 registrations last year – a rise of 21% over 2014. Demand is up again this year following the … [Read more...]
Features by David Miles
All-New Jaguar F-Pace SUV First Impressions
The All-New Jaguar F-Pace Performance-orientated Crossover. Reviewed by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Long awaited and with long waiting lists, Jaguar’s first ever SUV/Crossover range, the F-Pace, has been introduced at prices for the main models starting from £34,170 and rising to £51,450. It is probably the most important car in the brand’s long history as no major premium brand … [Read more...]
New Lexus RC 2+2 Coupé Road Test
Stunning Styling AND Rarity Value – says David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Originally designed as an RC concept coupé, such was the public and media reaction to it at various international motor shows that Lexus has now built it. The first UK deliveries started in January this year, but hurry if you want one – there is a sales plan of only 825 units this year. The RC 2+2 coupe rear … [Read more...]
Latest Skoda Octavia vRS First Impressions, and Skoda News
Hot Skoda Sales and a New, Hotter 230 hp Octavia vRS. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Skoda’s UK new car sales for the first quarter of this year are up by 6.4% to 27,039 units, ahead of the overall market growth. This is better news as last year their UK sales dipped slightly due to the run out of old models, like their Roomster compact MPV, and introduction of new models like the … [Read more...]
New Audi S8 Plus First Impressions
Supercar Pace from a Luxury Saloon. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Not only are Audi’s UK record sales driven by the constant addition of new core model ranges, they have now embarked on launching performance-enhancing derivatives with Plus and RS Performance models. The Audi A8 range of large executive saloons with quattro all wheel drive is long established both in standard and … [Read more...]
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Road Test
Fourth Generation Toyota RAV4 SUV Range includes Hybrid Versions By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) For the first time in its history Toyota’s mid-sized, five door RAV4 SUV range includes a petrol/electric hybrid power source option in its line up of two and four wheel drive, petrol and diesel models. The 2016 range now includes a new 2.0 litre D-4D 141 bhp turbodiesel engine for 2WD … [Read more...]
New Range Rover Evoque Convertible – First Impressions
Topless Range Rover Evoque Springs into the UK Report by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) It was only a matter of time that the path from workhorse 4x4 led to stylish must have SUVs and then to cheaper Crossovers, and now the latest move to a soft top SUV – the two door, four-seater Range Rover Evoque Convertible. Heralded by Land Rover as the World’s first luxury compact SUV … [Read more...]
Lexus RX450h Road Test
New Lexus RX450h Luxury Crossover Wafts into the UK By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) The fourth generation luxury crossover Lexus 450 range has arrived in the UK – in fact when deliveries started in January. Prices start at £39,995 for the RX 200t S 2.0 litre petrol with two wheel drive, rising to £57,995 for the 3.5 litre V6 petrol hybrid with four wheel drive – and the top Premier … [Read more...]
New DS3 Hatch and Cabrio Road Test
New DS3 Hatch and Cabrio Introduced to the Design-led Brand By David miles (Miles Better News Agency) The DS Automobiles premium brand was separated from Citroën in 2014 to standalone with its own models and own dealership network. Since the DS3 Hatch and Cabrio ‘supermini sector’ sized models were introduced the range has expanded with the DS 4, DS 4 Crossback and DS 5. In addition there are DS … [Read more...]
Audi customer numbers increase…
Plus and RS Performance Models Arrive and More Q Sales from Audi By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Audi in the UK has achieved record new cars sales in 12 of the past 15 years and already has got off to a flying start for the first quarter of 2016. Globally Audi achieved record sales in 2015 with a 3.6% increase to reach a total of 1.8-million new cars finding new homes. Although … [Read more...]
Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 Diesel Twin-clutch Automatic Road Test
Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 Diesel Twin-clutch Auto. Assessed by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). My headline uses a short version of what this new model is called in full – the Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 DDiS ALLGRIP SZ5 TCSS. Bear with me whilst I explain. DDiS refers to the 1.6-litre 120 hp direct injection turbodiesel engine, ALLGRIP refers to its variable modes 4WD system, SZ5 is its one and only … [Read more...]
Latest Ford Focus RS First Impressions
Spring Into the Long-awaited Ford Focus RS (but note that there will be a £1,000 price increase due from 1st May)… Says David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) It has been a long time coming, indeed not too many years ago we were told by Ford’s senior management there would never be another Focus RS under their global One Ford policy – there just wasn’t the demand, so we only got ‘less hot’ … [Read more...]
New Hyundai Tucson Road Test
The New Hyundai Tucson SUV is Already Driving Up Hyundai’s UK Sales Says David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The demand by customers for SUVs and Crossovers small, medium and large has made these types of vehicles the best selling sector in the European new car market and the third best selling sector in the UK, where sales increased by 21% last year. Such is the demand, even … [Read more...]
New Ford Mustang – First Impressions
Must-Have a Mustang – Ford’s New Muscle Car Muscles-In to the UK... A new classic in its own time – driven by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Ford’s latest marketing strategy is ‘Un Learn’ as they try to remove our preconceptions of the brand and past products. It is therefore strange and inconsistent that they have been wheeling out nostalgia as a hook to catch owners wanting Ford’s … [Read more...]
SEAT Alhambra MPV Road Test
A SEAT With Seven Seats – The Alhambra MPV By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) What’s in a name? SEAT – pronounced ‘say-at’ was founded in 1950 and is now the Spanish arm of the Volkswagen Group. SEAT’s largest model is their seven-seat Alhambra MPV, which takes its name from a medieval palace site in Granada. Moving to more modern times 2016 is the 20th anniversary year of Alhambra … [Read more...]
Kia Cee’d Road Test
A Healthy Sprinkling of Improvements Should Grow the Kia Cee’d’s Popularity By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) A sprinkling of updates inside, outside and under the bonnet of the Kia Cee’d family sized five door Hatchbacks, Sportwagon estates and Pro-Cee’d three door hatchbacks has given the models a mid-life refresh. Also introduced are more fuel efficient engines and a GT-Line sportier … [Read more...]
Vauxhall’s All New British-built Astra – 2016 European Car of The Year – Road Test
Vauxhall’s Sleek Newcomer Astra Assessed by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) When the British built Astra five door Hatchback was introduced to the media last September it soon became obvious to us that it was probably the most important car for most people to be launched in 2015. And that became reality because it has just been voted 2016 European Car of the Year and Family Hatchback … [Read more...]
Skoda Citigo Road Test
The Skoda Citigo – It’s Here in Black and White By David Miles (Miles Better New Agency) In the UK’s new car market, ‘A’ segment small City/Mini cars saw a big sales drop of 16.6% in 2015. It seems customers were lured away to larger ‘B’ segment supermini models, being marketed by cheap finance offers on low mileage used or pre-registered dealer stock cars. There was also a move by style and … [Read more...]
Suzuki Really Motoring Again in 2016 – Plus Swift 1.2 Dualjet 4×4 First Impressions
David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) gives his assessment… (Note from Kim: In addition to David’s typically comprehensive and insightful coverage within this feature, you may also be interested to read my own thoughts on Suzuki’s current position, also my impressions of more Suzuki models; please click HERE). After consecutive years of record UK sales Suzuki suffered a blip in registrations in … [Read more...]
New BMW 7 Series Limousine Road Test
The New BMW 7 Series for High-Tech Executive Travel Writes David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Unless you are a high ranking government minister, royalty, a high flying business executive or a chauffeur, chances are you will not travel in, let alone drive, the new sixth generation BMW 7 Series limousine. Showing the new flagship’s high-end executive car status, these new models were very much … [Read more...]