Revised, repriced and released this Spring, the Subaru Forester is ready to take on rivals in the serious SUV sector in 2025. Launched in 1997 on the back of a very impressive rallying impact by Subaru, the Forester was aimed squarely at the expanding SUV sector but in particular the country dweller who’d appreciate simple yet effective full-time all-wheel-drive. Here was something to pull a … [Read more...]
Features by Robin Roberts
Skoda Kamiq SE L Edition – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) writes… Skoda has something for everyone in its family friendly range beginning with their baby SUV, the Kamiq. Launched in 2019 as Skoda’s smallest SUV, the Kamiq shares its floorpan with the Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross, but offers more interior room. To maintain family resemblances, the Kamiq shares a similar face to the larger Skoda SUVs, the Karoq, … [Read more...]
Mazda CX-80 seven seater – Road Test
The new flagship Mazda CX-80 is poised to make a big impression in the luxury multi-seat SUV sector, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). New car sales went and are going through a tough time but it must be said that in 2024 Mazda did better than most. Mazda UK sales director Laura Brailey told us global registrations for the brand rose 11% last year to a record 1.4 M and in Britain it … [Read more...]
Ford Capri Premium AWD – Road Test
The Ford Capri name is back and turning heads some 55 years after the original model, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). The first Ford Capri, designed by the same man who styled the Ford Mustang, was produced from 1969 to 1986 and covered three generations with two million models registered. Originally made in Ford’s Halewood, Liverpool plant, the new all-electric Capri uses the … [Read more...]
Ford Puma ST-Line X – Road Test
The Ford Puma has consistently featured in Britain’s top ten popular cars for all the right reasons, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). From launch in 2019 as natural evolution of the Fiesta hatchback, the Puma SUV has fitted the bill for thousands of families. Its fairly compact dimensions enclose a deceptively practical and versatile body with a clever mild hybrid 48-volt power pack … [Read more...]
Britain’s drive towards electric vehicle propulsion is slowing down
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) reports on a backtrack on EV sales targets... Today, the Government announced a relaxation of electric vehicle sales targets to help the car industry in the face of trade tariffs from the US and a slow take up for pure electric cars without manufacturer incentives costing them millions of pounds. It is what the motor industry and component suppliers have … [Read more...]
KGM Tivoli K40 V2 – Road Test
The familiar Tivoli mid-sized SUV has been relaunched and refocused to take on rivals which offer less to an increasingly cost-conscious client base. Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) test drives the latest Tivoli. Introduced in 2015 under a SsangYong badge before the manufacturer ran into trouble, and then relaunched as KGM with improvements inside and out in 2024. We now have just one … [Read more...]
Cupra Tavascan V1 – Road Test
A brand which has accelerated from racetrack to road has to be something special, so the Cupra Tavascan deserves consideration if you’re looking for an edgy everyday car. Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) puts the car through its paces… Developed from the SEAT Sport series into the Cup Racing range nearly 30 years ago the Cupra line up represents the most powerful and advanced sophisticated … [Read more...]
Skoda Superb SE L Estate 150 PS diesel – Road Test
Value for money rarely comes with the sophistication and refinement of the Skoda Superb SE L Estate, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)... Skoda introduced the Superb range in 2001 and it has gone through to the fourth generation, growing in size at each point until the current version based on a stretched version of the VW Group’s MQB Evo platform, also underpinning the largest models … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Passat R-Line – Road Test
The latest Volkswagen Passat is not only the sleekest shape to carry the name but also probably the most sophisticated, reports Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). It will surprise many to know that the original Passat was unveiled in 1973 and in 52 years there have been over a dozen derivatives, being sold as a hatchback, saloon and estate at various times around the world. It is the … [Read more...]
MG Cyberster Trophy – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) writes: “A century after the brand was created, MG sports cars have been reimagined for today’s motoring generations.” The 2024 launch of the MG Cyberster turned heads with the two-seater convertible’s dramatic styling and opened eyes with its performance as the world’s first fully electric open-topped sports car. It was a brave decision by MG’s Chinese … [Read more...]
UK new car market dips
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) writes… Wales saw the steepest decline in UK for new car registrations last month. Coming immediately before the new 25-plate this month, registrations in Wales were 13.16% down on the same month last year. Total registrations in Wales in February were 2,323 new cars and that contributed to a 11.91% drop through the first two months of 2025. The UK new car … [Read more...]
Lexus UX300h – Road Test
It’s been a bad 12 months for the British car market, but not for Lexus, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). The luxury Japanese brand has just enjoyed a 4.5% rise in sales in 2024, mostly due to a strong surge in its electric models. But wisely, Lexus has decided to keep a wheel in both tracks of development, one set in the electric mode and the other in the hybrid highway. And it’s … [Read more...]
Toyota Prius Design PHEV – Road Test
Toyota Prius Design PHEV – Road Test The Toyota Prius was ahead of its time when created and today’s model still sets standards for others to aim at achieving. Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) reports... Conceived in the mid-1990s, the Toyota Prius was the world’s first mass produced hybrid car when it was launched in 1997 and we have now seen five generations or evolutions of the car, … [Read more...]
Mazda CX-80 FD – First Impressions/First Drive
Mazda has launched a new flagship CX-80 to do battle in the luxury seven-seater SUV sector in Britain, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)… After a tough year for car sales in 2024, Mazda did better than most and wants to attract new buyers to the brand with the CX-80, which is slightly bigger than the five-seat CX-60 SUV it introduced in Spring 2022. They share the same platform which … [Read more...]
Mazda3 Saloon 186 PS Exclusive-Line – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) test drives the Mazda3 saloon... While every maker wants to be distinctive and have desirable cars they also tend to follow fashion and sometimes end up with dull models which look no different to one another, but thankfully the Mazda3 range offers an alternative. Its range has developed from saloons to hatchbacks and cross-over models, but among them is a … [Read more...]
KGM Actyon – First Impressions
A significant coupé-SUV newcomer arrives from KGM... by Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). It may be unknown to many but KGM has aspirations to become the brand you’ll desire to drive. The former SsangYong manufacturer went bust twice in recent years but in 2022 was rescued by Korean conglomerate KG Mobility which is pursuing a clear programme of new model introductions in conjunction … [Read more...]
Volvo XC40 Ultra, B4 Mild hybrid – Road Test
Think family cars and I bet the next image in any driver’s eyes is a Volvo, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). Once associated with the immensely practical, purposeful and frills-free estates, the company has undergone a rejuvenation and now offers a range of sophisticated SUVs brimming with the latest safety technology. They also started off big to sell to the US market but realised … [Read more...]
Suzuki Vitara Ultra Allgrip – Road Test
Suzuki Vitara Ultra ALLGRIP – Road Test The highly popular Suzuki Vitara has been given a make-over for 2025 to enhance the appeal of this already highly competitive medium sized SUV. Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) reports... The Vitara hybrid remains a strong selling model in the range and Suzuki has redefined its styling, raised the level of standard equipment and technology as well as … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Sportback 5dr 35TFSI S tronic MHEV – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) writes... Twenty-nine years ago the first Audi A3 established the premium compact class and today the fourth generation sets a high standard which rivals really struggle to match. From that initial model in 1996, the A3 series has evolved into a comprehensive range of saloons and semi-estates or coupés with individual emphasis on sophistication or … [Read more...]
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