Rachel Henson drives a diminutive car in a big country... ...and provides some helpful advice (which could save you some money) about renting a car abroad. Renting a Fiat 500 in the Costa Blanca When I decided to visit Sella, a small village near Benidorm in Spain, my first thought was to take a taxi. Being driven to the village would mean not having to worry about parking, driving on the … [Read more...]
Contributors
Hyundai Santa Fe seven seater – road test
The Hyundai Santa Fe Premium SE large SUV… …test-driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). The Hyundai Santa Fe has been the bedrock of the brand since launched in 2001, but it’s no dinosaur. The fourth generation of this highly popular large SUV is packed with the latest features and choices to please any family with the emphasis on enjoyment and living.Split over four trim … [Read more...]
Peugeot Rifter GT Line LONG BlueHDi 130 S&S seven seater MPV – Road Test
For some buyers in need of a seven seater, a more spacious MPV is a better bet than an SUV... Kim Henson test-drives the long wheelbase version of Peugeot’s diesel-powered Rifter, with seven adults aboard… (All words and photographs by Kim). As we have been reporting on ‘Wheels-Alive’, currently there is a huge UK market for SUVs (‘Sport Utility Vehicles’), seen by many as ‘fashionable’, and … [Read more...]
Ford’s engine production facility at Bridgend has a chance of becoming the base for building the Ineos all wheel drive vehicle…
Ford Bridgend Engine plant has been shortlisted to assemble the planned Ineos successor to the famed LR Defender. Robin Roberts reports... The Welsh location is lining up against a plant in Portugal, the CEO of Ineos Automotive Dirk Heilmann has confirmed after bosses visited South Wales and looked around the Ford plant along with Welsh Government representatives. Ineos plan to … [Read more...]
Kia Optima Sportswagen Diesel – Road Test
REVISED KIA OPTIMA SPORTSWAGON FEATURES NEW DIESEL ENGINE OPTION. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). For customers getting bored with their SUV or just plain put off by the ever increasing number of them on roads worldwide, perhaps it’s time to move on to the tried and trusted, more exclusive and traditional large estate. Despite manufacturers putting all their eggs in one basket … [Read more...]
Book Review – Making Tracks
Book Review – Making Tracks – A whistle-stop tour of railway history. Reviewed by Kim Henson. Title: Making Tracks – A whistle-stop tour of railway history Author: Peter Saxton Published by: Michael O’Mara Books Limited 192 pages; softback Price (UK): £7.99 for printed version ISBN: 978-1-78243-768-0 in paperback format; 978-1-78243-332-3 in e-book format Of course Wheels-Alive … [Read more...]
Latest Honda CR-V – Hybrid – Road Test
NEW HONDA CR-V HYBRID SUV MODELS NOW ON SALE… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) has test-driven the newcomer. Billed by Honda as the world’s best-selling SUV with over 9.0 million sales in 150 countries since the first generation model was launched in 1995, the latest generation range was introduced towards the end of last year. However the new range had no diesel and no 2.0 litre VTEC … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Arteon – Road Test
VW Arteon R-Line 2.0 TDI 190hp auto. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Volkswagen is raising its game again. Introduced in late 2017, the VW Arteon large five door family hatchback is the flagship of the marque and is steadily expanding its line-up, and today runs to over 20 variants in the UK. There are seven petrol or diesel engine and powertrain options including manual, … [Read more...]
Mercedes-Benz A-Class – Road Test
LATEST MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS – BRITS BUY THEM MOST… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) puts one of the current models through its paces. The UK is the largest global market for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class range of five door hatchbacks and four door saloons. Over 340,000 have been sold since the first generation arrived in the UK in 1997. Last year a record 43,527 of them were sold in the … [Read more...]
Changing vehicle technology requires new skills…
A new technology time-bomb is ticking in the used car trade. Robin Roberts reports. Rapidly changing vehicle technology means that the remarketing sector is going to have to undergo an unprecedented period of upskilling over the next decade, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. The organisation – which represent companies that handle, sell, inspect, transport or manage more than 1.5 … [Read more...]
Turbocharged 1.0 litre automatic MG ZS – Road Test
MG ZS 1.0T GDI Executive auto SUV – with a compact but big-hearted engine. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Sometimes it’s the little things that bring the biggest surprises, like the MG ZS SUV with a sub-1.0 litre petrol engine and an automatic gearbox. Now years ago you would have baulked at a five-seat family car with a 999cc engine and lumbered with an automatic … [Read more...]
‘Our Friends Electric’?
UK drivers buy more cars but are turned away from plug-in hybrids as a vital buying incentive is withdrawn... Robin Roberts tells the story. As the Geneva motor show opens, figures show UK car sales beat expectations and rose 1.4 percent February, boosted by rising sales of petrol and alternative-fuelled cars, according to the SMMT. Sales rose to 81,969 units from 80,805 in February … [Read more...]
Financial Conduct Authority investigates customer over-charging in the car sales market
Too much interest... Robin Roberts reports... Some methods used by finance brokers to reward car dealers that end up overcharging an estimated 560,000 customers about 300 million pounds a year are to be banned. The Financial Conduct Authority found widespread use of commission models that allow brokers to set the customer interest rate and thus earn higher commission. “We found that some … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Combo Life – Road Test
VAUXHALL COMBO LIFE FIVE SEATER – VERSATILE AND VALUE FOR MONEY MOTORING. David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) gives his verdict… The Vauxhall Combo Life is one of a trilogy of new van derived MPV, multi-purpose vehicles also known as ‘people carriers’. Its stablemates are the Peugeot Rifter and Citroën Berlingo and they are all available with five and seven seat versions with standard or … [Read more...]
Revised Fiat 500X – Road Test
UPDATED FIAT 500X - FASHION AND FUNCTION COMBINED. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). With the on-going arrival of all-new SUVs of all sizes in full swing, the popular market sector also offers updated versions of SUVs which have been available for much longer. At the compact end of the SUV market one such revised and refreshed model range made its UK debut at the end of last … [Read more...]
Commercial break… Toyota Land Cruiser LCV – Road Test
Toyota Land Cruiser SWB Light Commercial Vehicle… Road-tested by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). In recent weeks I have watched a variety of documentaries from the wildest and most remote places on earth and while the presenters change with each programme there seems to be a satisfying, reassuring continuity as they are all conveyed in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Its reputation to … [Read more...]
New diesel powered Vauxhall Grandland X – Road Test
LATEST VAUXHALL GRANDLAND X – KEEPS CALM AND CARRIES ON. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Given the turmoil in the world’s car industry, the faltering global economy, falling sales, demonization of diesel engines and in the UK that touchy issue about Brexit, Vauxhall’s latest advertising strapline for their Grandland X mid-sized SUV, ‘Keeps Calm – Carries On’, looks like sensible … [Read more...]
SsangYong Tivoli Ultimate – Road Test
The SsangYong Tivoli Ultimate petrol auto SUV with 2WD... Test-driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Everyone likes surprises, especially if they give you even more than expected, such as with the SsangYong Tivoli SUV. I think it’s a bit of liberty calling it an SUV when the petrol version tested is only 2WD and is little more than a taller hatchback, but the Tivoli goes … [Read more...]
Post-War ‘Baby’ Austin A30/A35s galore to visit Dorset…
The ‘Jurassic Rally’ in Wareham is the destination for A30/A35 enthusiasts from around Britain and Europe (and beyond) to get together in May… Kim Henson reports. Each year the Austin A30/A35 Owners’ Club holds its annual International Rally in a different part of the UK. This coming May, over the late Bank Holiday weekend (Friday 24th to Sunday 26th, with the main rally day being the Sunday), … [Read more...]
A sad day for the British motor industry as Honda announces the closure of its Swindon facility
The end of an era for Honda in Britain... by Kim Henson. This morning it has been confirmed by Honda that the company will be closing its Swindon plant in 2021, with the loss of approximately 3,500 jobs. This devastating news for those involved, and in the supply chain, and of course in the local economy in the Swindon area, amounts to one of the saddest ever days in the history of car … [Read more...]
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