Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.2 TD, Q4 Super, better late than never… By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Alfa Romeo took its time entering the booming SUV sector with its Stelvio, the first of its kind from the brand after it debuted the Kamal SUV concept car at the Geneva motor show in 2003. A lot has happened in the meantime and any car-maker with an eye on the future must make an SUV, … [Read more...]
Features by Robin Roberts
Serious safety concerns: Surprising and worrying Euro NCAP test results…
Crunch time for Fiat Chrysler as the 2018 facelift Panda and the new Jeep Wrangler do not perform well in Euro NCAP tests. Robin Roberts tells all... The 2018 facelift FIAT Panda has been given one of the lowest ratings in Euro NCAP’s history, having failed to achieve more than 50% in any of the car safety organisation’s four key testing categories. The safety of children seated in the rear was … [Read more...]
U.K. new car sales fall – but not in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland…
New vehicle sales are increasing over the borders from England… Robin Roberts reports. Wales bucked the UK trend and pushed up new car registrations in November by 1.03% to 5,579 models. This compares to a rise of 7.1% in Scotland with 12,407 new cars and 3.8% in Northern Ireland to 3,253, while a decline of 4.1 %was experienced in England when figures dipped to 137,039, so the market in the … [Read more...]
Emissions clampdown…
Some older vehicles struggle to meet stringent new emissions regulations... Robin Roberts tells all... Tough new emission tests this year have doubled the failure rate for older cars, and vans have gone up over four times as much. The DVSA reports that since May when the lower limits were set there have been 744,592 failed cars which have been fixed or scrapped compared to 350,472 in the same … [Read more...]
Aston Martin DB11 – First Impressions
Spied – the new Aston Martin DB11 Volante and Vantage. Tried and tested by Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency) – stirred but not shaken… The Aston Martin story has all the excitement, luxury, twists and turns of a good James Bond book, but the reality in your hands is an exclusive range of high performance sports cars which now include the DB11 Volante and Vantage coupé. These are the … [Read more...]
SEAT Arona FR TSI – Brief Road Test
SEAT Arona FR 1.5 TSI EVO 150 Compact SUV Briefly Tested. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Working requirements mean that sometimes we can only spend a comparatively short, but informative, time in a test car. A quick run in a few hours can often highlight the pros and cons of a car so the best and worst features stand out. Other times you need to spend a few days in the … [Read more...]
Aston Martin DBX SUV – Preview and news
Sneak a peek at the Aston Martin DBX on test… By Robin Roberts. Secret testing has started in Wales with the forthcoming Aston Martin DBX, which will go into production at St Athan towards the end of next year. Before officially confirming the new five-door model will be named DBX it started trials runs through a forest stage near Bala and used on Wales Rally GB. In the hands of the company’s … [Read more...]
Headlamp bulbs – How much?!
Do you know how much it would cost to renew a headlamp bulb on your car? Robin Roberts tells all… A blown headlight bulb can cost up to £846 to replace on some of Britain’s best-selling small cars, new research reveals. A study into 13 popular models on sale today by What Car? found headlight repair bills vary by several hundred pounds depending on whether the models have halogen or HID or LED … [Read more...]
Mercedes-Benz classic sports car restoration by Hemmels of Cardiff
A Welsh car business is turning out new for old gold. Robin Roberts tells all... Hemmels of Cardiff is probably one of the least known success stories in the Welsh automotive sector but it is rapidly gaining recognition around the world. It specialises in nut and bold regeneration of classic Mercedes-Benz sports cars, and prices for their year-long rebuilt models begin at £225,000. For … [Read more...]
Latest Mazda6 Tourer – Road Test
Mazda6 Tourer Sport Nav 165hp upgraded... ...Assessed by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). The Mazda6 range has undergone a transformation this year. Announced in July, the new Mazda6 series is significantly different and upgraded, compared with the previous generation, both outside and in. The emphasis has been to ramp up driving enjoyment and safety technology, with more … [Read more...]
Diesel ditched in drive to be seen to be going green…
Robin Roberts tells the story... The shift away from diesel has more drivers planning to choose an eco-friendly car than ever before, says AA Cars. Looking at people who have used its site, nearly a quarter (22%) claim they are ready to make the switch despite a lot of confusion over Government policies. The AA-Populus poll of over 20,000 drivers shows that this would be a dramatic increase … [Read more...]
VW Polo GTi and up! GTi – First Impressions
Volkswagen’s new GTi twins. Tried and tested by Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). Brits love their hot hatches and Volkswagen has turned back the clock to mark time for future success. Just over 40 years ago, the original Golf GTi was released to eager owners and over the decades that popularity has spread to create the Polo and up! GTi models, which are arguably more in tune with … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Crossland X Ultimate 130 hp – Road Test
More power, more appeal – Vauxhall’s latest Crossland X Ultimate 130 hp… ...assessed by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). With a third of all new European car sales going to the SUV market it’s a sector no car-maker can ignore, and Vauxhall is going for it big and small time with its new models. The Crossland X was introduced as an urban compact five door SUV with front wheel … [Read more...]
Classics news… Which models are appreciating in value?
Big Data helps pick future classics... Robin Roberts reports. Used car buyers with a keen eye for an investment could be set to benefit from a new online tool that reveals the cars that are appreciating and could become collectors’ items. ‘Future classics’ created by automotive data and valuations expert HPI is an online site that allows users to find out which cars are likely to … [Read more...]
Circuit of Wales plan back on track
A new attempt to create the Circuit of Wales is underway... ...writes Robin Roberts. The controversial £433M scheme on a mountainside overlooking Ebbw Vale was rejected for Welsh Government assistance in June 2017. The original proposers of the 2013 venture failed to secure the confidence of the Welsh Government which had put £9M into studies to turn over 800 acres of mountain moorland into a … [Read more...]
New Audi A6 – First Impressions
New Audi A6 Saloon and Avant estate tried and tested... By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Audi’s success has been built on the sum of its parts, whether that’s quattro technology, TT-style or out-and-out performance through the wheels of the R8, but it’s also been piling up sales with estates. In the UK last year the A6 range saw an approximate 55/45 split between Saloon and … [Read more...]
Aston Martin Lagonda’s new generation of electric super-cars will be built in Wales, it confirmed today.
Robin Roberts reports on good news for Aston Martin and Wales... News that the new St Athan site will become its centre for electrification confirms an exclusive story which appeared on WheelsWithinWales earlier in March. The Aston Martin Rapide E will be the first Battery Electric Vehicle from the international luxury sporting brand in 2019 and St Athan will also assemble future … [Read more...]
New car sales increase significantly during August…
New car registrations in Britain soared last month on the eve of an EU change in law which would ban models not meeting the tougher WLTP emissions test. Robin Roberts reports... Thousands of models across Europe were heavily discounted by dealers backed by car makers anxious to clear unsold stock of the NEDC tested models. This push and the fact some car makers are struggling to build cars … [Read more...]
Latest Hyundai Kona – Road Test
Hyundai Kona SE 1.0 T-GDI petrol with 2WD – small but perfectly formed. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). While it takes its name from a Hawaiian island, Hyundai’s Kona is really more of a landmark in the mainstream compact SUV sector. Kona is available in 11 versions based on five trim levels, and powered by a choice of new 115 or 136 hp six or seven speed 1.6 turbo-diesels, … [Read more...]
Audi Q8 – First Impressions
New Audi Q8 joins the booming SUV market… By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Britain’s booming SUV market has yet another new player. The Audi Q8 raises the game for the company as the new flagship in its sporting range and it’s also a real challenger to rivals from Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maserati, as well as Bentley. The new five-seater Q8 has a coupé styled five-door … [Read more...]
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