Kim Henson takes the wheel of Subaru’s all wheel drive Crosstrek… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). I first test-drove a Subaru (an all wheel drive estate car) in the autumn of 1979, and was impressed by the performance of its horizontally-opposed ‘boxer’ engine, its versatility in everyday use, and its spectacular levels of traction (albeit without a differential … [Read more...]
Features by Kim Henson
In life, sometimes there are things that you just have to do. In my case many of them relate to my twin loves of 1) motoring, and 2) using writing to convey to others (and share with) my fascination for the subject.
I have been passionate about cars for as long as I can remember, and have always had a thirst for knowledge concerning how and why they work, and how to keep them operating as they should. In addition, I’ve always enjoyed driving, and trying to fairly assess and compare the various good and bad points of different makes and models.
Kia’s impressive line-up sampled…
Kim test-drives Kias – briefly driving five models from the current range, and likes what he found... It is no surprise to me that Kia is doing well in the U.K. market; to start with the firm offers a very wide range of models that currently encompass petrol power, hybrid propulsion and fully electric vehicles. Added to this wide range of buyer choice there is Kia’s market-leading seven year … [Read more...]
For Your Bookshelf: “Classic Racing” (On track action captured at the Silverstone Classic Festival 2012 – 2023)
Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Peter Osborne Published by: ‘From the Driving Seat’: www.fromthedrivingseat.com 260 pages (A4 landscape pages, paperback) UK Price: £29.95 including p. and p; order direct from the publisher, website details above. ISBN: 978-1-3999-7834-7 This comprehensive book covers, in superb colour photographs taken by author Peter Osborne, and with concise yet … [Read more...]
Beaulieu’s Spring Autojumble 2024
Kim Henson reports on this year’s Beaulieu Spring Autojumble: Here’s his own story of the event… (All words and some photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson; remaining photographs by, and copyright, Chris Adamson, as individually credited. Grateful thanks to Chris for providing his photographs). Once again I attended the Spring Autojumble, held within the grounds of the National Motor … [Read more...]
BBC Gardeners’ World 2024 Spring Fair, Beaulieu
Kim Henson reports from the green(fingered) fields of the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu… (All words and images by, and copyright, Kim Henson). This year’s popular Gardeners’ World Spring Fair has returned to Beaulieu (as in 2023) and the show, which ran from 3rd to 5th May 2024, featured a fresh layout and a wide variety of new features. Now of course Beaulieu is famous for its superb … [Read more...]
All-new Suzuki Swift Hybrid – First Impressions
Kim Henson samples the latest, Fourth Generation of Suzuki’s compact supermini, the Swift. (Images and words by, and copyright, Kim Henson). Suzuki’s Swift has been impressing owners over the last 40 years and three generations, with more than nine million examples having been sold globally, across 119 countries. As with all Suzukis, the model has earned a justifiable reputation for … [Read more...]
Isuzu ‘New Look’ D-Max DL40 Double Cab Auto – Road Test
Kim Henson test drives Isuzu’s well-respected D-Max Double Cab (five seater) pick-up. (All words and images by, and copyright, Kim Henson). In recent years Isuzu has become increasingly prominent in the U.K. pick-up market, with a reputation for strength and reliability endearing buyers. Indeed this inherent durability is key to the company’s strategy, and in the firm’s own words, they… “focus … [Read more...]
BYD ATTO 3– First Impressions
Kim Henson briefly test drives BYD’s ATTO 3 (C-Segment all-electric SUV). BYD (Standing for ‘Build Your Dreams’) arrived in the UK a year ago (March 2023), with the Chinese motor manufacturer in celebratory mode after winning the ‘Rising Star’ title at the Great British Fleet Awards, on 18th April 2024. Their all-electric line-up includes the ATTO 3 SUV, DOLPHIN (C-Segment hatchback) and SEAL … [Read more...]
Wheels-Alive/BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair Ticket Giveaway
Free ticket giveaway through Wheels-Alive for this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair, to be held at Beaulieu, Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th May 2024… but if you are interested, 'be quick'! ...says Kim Henson. STOP PRESS... We have been inundated with requests for these tickets, and thank you to all our readers who have contacted us, but the tickets have now gone. That said, the Spring Fair is a … [Read more...]
‘Enjoying Your Austin’ – A30/A35 book, still available for Christmas
Kim Henson writes... My A30/A35 book 'Accessible Classics' (Enjoying Your Austin) is still available direct from me and if you would like a copy in time for Christmas, please let me know as soon as possible! Again this year several people have asked me whether my book on Austin A30s/A35s is still available… Yes it is (I wrote and published the book), and it can be purchased direct from me if you … [Read more...]
Motoring For Fun – A festive wintertime west country tour in a Suzuki Swace.
Kim Henson tells a true winter's tale. (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson). Cornwall beckoned, but our trip had to take in Swindon and Montacute as well… After a busy year during which my wife and I had been obliged to postpone two separate breaks in Wales, the idea of a few pre-Christmastime days away in Cornwall to unwind was very appealing. In fact, our planned … [Read more...]
Latest version Suzuki Swace estate car – Road Test
Kim Henson reports on living with Suzuki’s Swace estate car during 750 miles of mixed everyday motoring… (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson). These days SUVs rule, it seems, or at least they do for some buyers. However there are many motorists who prefer the ‘traditional’ estate car approach to styling and construction. While Suzuki offers competence galore with the … [Read more...]
Flooded roads? Proceed with great care – or preferably avoid them altogether!
Kim Henson advises on staying safe and at the same time preventing wrecking your car in floodwater… I first published this feature on Wheels-Alive in 2016, but in view of the huge amounts of rainfall we’ve seen lately (as I write, it’s late-November 2023), I feel that it is worth revisiting/updating now. It seems that many drivers don’t appreciate the potential dangers of driving through floods … [Read more...]
For Your Bookshelf – “What happened to the class of 1955?”
The story of the 1955 British Grand Prix and participating teams... Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Tony Bagnall Published by: Douglas Loveridge Publications: https://www.facebook.com/automobiliaauctions/ 152 pages (hardback) UK Price: £30 ISBN: 978-1-900113-21-2 The starting point for this book is 1946 and the fresh basis for Grand Prix racing (known ever since as ‘Formula One’) … [Read more...]
For Your Bookshelf – “The Automotive Alchemist”
'The Automotive Alchemist'... Reviewed by Kim Henson Author: Andy Saunders Published by: Dalton Watson Fine Books; www.daltonwatson.com 463 pages (hardback; 290 x 219 mm) UK Price: £90 including UK delivery, details via: andysaunderskustoms@hotmail.com Availability from Andy as above, or from Hortons Books, Marlborough: https://www.hortonsbooks.co.uk/ ISBN: … [Read more...]
Grumpy Old Mechanic – Beware using very old fuel and ‘E10’ petrol in your classic
Fuel – be careful what you use in your classic... Our motor technician has had many decades of motor car experience and always tries to help car owners keep their vehicles on the road and running well… This time he offers a few words of advice about petrol… He writes: "I have always advised my classic car customers to use the best quality fuel they can find, and ideally these days to avoid … [Read more...]
Test-driving recent new models at the SMMT Test Day South 2023
Kim Henson reports from this annual event that he rates as 'invaluable'… For many years the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders or SMMT (the U.K.’s industry body representing the automotive sector) has provided annual opportunities for motoring writers to attend regional events, in the north and south of England respectively, primarily to assess a wide variety of models showcased by the … [Read more...]
Kia goes from strength to strength with a wide variety of models
Kia goes from strength to strength with a wide variety of models Kim meets Kias… Kim Henson samples four Kia models from the current range – and is impressed. There are many good reasons why Kia is enjoying sales success in the U.K. These include the firm’s famous, market-leading seven year warranty, the very wide range of models and propulsion types – including, of course, hybrid and fully … [Read more...]
The sun shone on classic enthusiasts all weekend long at this year’s Beaulieu International Autojumble
Kim Henson visited the sun-bathed 2023 Beaulieu International Autojumble… Here’s what he found… What follows is my own personal perspective on the event. The words are my own; the photographs were taken by me and by my colleague Chris Adamson (grateful thanks Chris, for your help), as individually credited. (Copyright Kim Henson and Chris Adamson, respectively). As I headed for this year’s … [Read more...]
The Motor Ombudsman records a small increase in the number of EV complaints in the second quarter of 2023
A small rise in the number of consumer complaints about electric vehicles has been noted by The Motor Ombudsman. They tell us: (All words and images from The Motor Ombudsman). Electric vehicle (EV) complaints submitted by consumers to The Motor Ombudsman rise in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023 to 291, versus the total of 273 recorded between January and March this year … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 18
- Next Page »