Tom Scanlan samples the five door Fiat 500X It's what's called a compact crossover vehicle, with this segment of the industry having grown from an initial 5% of the total car market in 2004 to 20% in 2014. Like the 500L, introduced in 2012, it is significantly bigger than the very popular 500 and aims to set new standards of build quality, passenger space and on-board technology. During … [Read more...]
First Impressions
Our brief encounters with new models on the U.K. market
MG Electric Vehicle Concept car – on the road
An electrically powered MG? Certainly! Kim Henson reports. During a recent, fascinating tour of MG’s assembly plant and Technical Centre at Longbridge, Birmingham (to read about this, please click HERE), I was given the chance to test-drive a prototype of MG’s ‘EV (Electric Vehicle) Concept’ car. This is a small, electrically-powered, front wheel drive four seater, built on a … [Read more...]
New Audi TT
Audi's third generation coupe is completely new in every department says Tom Scanlan A casual glance might not register this: the difference between this car and the outgoing model is certainly not as marked as was the difference between the first and second generation cars. The most obvious visual cue is the much-revised front end, with the Audi rings now removed from within the grille up onto … [Read more...]
New Vauxhall Corsa
Review by Tom Scanlan Vauxhall’s latest generation of its popular Corsa is now on the road. How new is it? Although all the dimensions are no different, all of the car’s body panels are new, and provide greater definition between the ‘sporty’ look of the three-door and the ‘premium’ five-door models. Almost every element of the Corsa’s cabin is completely new, including a completely … [Read more...]
BMW’s Latest Models (October 2014)
Tom Scanlan experiences six cars from BMW and MINI in one day... 2-, 3-, 4-series and i-series BMWs plus all-new MINIS have all arrived in a rush over the past months. Wheels-Alive went into the Cotswolds to sample them. Newest ideas are the 2-series Active Tourer and 5-door MINI Hatch, along with electric power for the i3 and remarkable i8. The M4 cars now have a metal roof convertible … [Read more...]
Multi-model Driving Impressions – SMMT Test Day South 2014
BRIEF IMPRESSIONS: A VARIETY OF CARS DRIVEN BY 'WHEELS-ALIVE' AT THE SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS’ 2014 TEST DAY SOUTH Kim Henson reports… Every year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) hosts a driving day specifically for motoring writers from the south of the U.K, and I always find this a very useful occasion for driving a number of cars from different makers, … [Read more...]
Latest Volkswagens Sampled
Kim Henson drives two of the latest VW Polos plus the new Golf SV and the rapid Golf R... As model names, Polo and Golf have in each case been with us for around four decades, but of course these justifiably popular Volkswagen models have evolved as the years have passed, and – as has always been the case – the latest versions represent current ‘state of the art’ design and … [Read more...]
Suzuki 4WD range First impressions
Suzuki's Four Wheel Drive range, summarised by Tom Scanlan... Not a lot of people, it seems, know that Suzuki makes cars and not just bikes. They may have only 1.5% of the UK car market but buyers who move into a Suzuki for the first time tend to stay with it. No wonder, really, considering the value for money the cars offer: they seem well-made, with good quality materials and with generous … [Read more...]
Citroën C1
Citroën’s happy little C1 city car has been replaced by a brand-new C1, complete with a smiley face. Citroën reckons the new car’s front has just that, along with the company’s trade-mark 3D rear lights. Tom Scanlan reports... In Citroën’s now-established tradition, the cars also come in a range of new colour combinations, both outside and in, and that will certainly help attract two main … [Read more...]
John Price Williams samples the new MG3 Form Sport
What defines an MG? The marque has had a long sporting tradition since building its first car some 90 years ago, though the badge has been stuck on Maestros, Metros and Montegos, among other less distinguished models, all quite some distance away from the original concept of a two-seater sports car. I recently had the chance to test the MG3 - the latest offering, a slick, spacious good-looking … [Read more...]
Kias of Today sampled, July 2014
Kim Henson drives a selection of models from the current Kia line-up… I have been impressed by Kias since first having a five door Pride for a week-long road test… That was back in 1992, and at the time I rated the car as a cost-effective, competent hatchback, and which was a state-of-the-art machine in its time. In fact my findings were confirmed by a friend who bought a Pride in the early … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Cabriolet and New S3 Saloon
Kim Henson drives two significant new Audis… NEW A3 CABRIOLET By contrast with many manufacturers offering ‘tin top’ (steel roof) dropheads, Audi is deliberately – primarily for weight reduction purposes – sticking with a folding, fully automatic opening/closing fabric roof for the company’s new A3 Cabriolet. (The roof – comprising three separate layers plus a headlining – fully opens or closes … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi ASX
Kim Henson samples the latest SUV from Mitsubishi… The latest, revised incarnation of Mitsubishi’s ASX is aimed squarely at the very popular ‘crossover’ market, which includes models such as the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Yeti, Suzuki SX4 S-Cross and Subaru XV. Mitsubishi expects to sell around 4,500 examples in the U.K. in 2014. The original ASX was developed … [Read more...]
Mazda3 SKYACTIV-G 2.0 litre 120 PS Sport Nav manual
Tom Scanlan gets behind the wheel... Mazda’s ‘SKYACTIV’ technology is once again to the fore in its all-new Mazda3 range. SKYACTIV, says Mazda, involves carefully-designed engine mechanicals with ‘world-beating’ compression ratios, sophisticated chassis technology and the use of light weight but super-strong construction. Two body styles are available: Hatchback and Fastback, and engine … [Read more...]
Skoda Rapid Spaceback (also Octavia Elegance, brief drive)
Kim Henson welcomes Skoda’s attractive newcomer… In recent years the Skoda company has been enjoying considerable success in the U.K. Its distinctive models have plenty of appeal for British buyers seeking competent dynamic performance, practicality and true value for their money. As a result, Skoda sales are increasing at a rate much faster than those of the U.K. market when viewed as a … [Read more...]
Fiat 500L Trekking
Tom Scanlan reports... Fiat’s 500L Trekking is one of three bigger types of 500, alongside the 500L and the longer 500L MPW (Multi Purpose Wagon). The idea behind the Trekking is to hint at its potential to be a car that is ideal for the countryside, without compromising its performance in the city. It could perhaps be described as purposeful, rather than pretty like the 500. It has, … [Read more...]
Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Saloon
by Tom Scanlan Audi’s A3 saloon was launched last Autumn in the UK, filling a gap in the company’s range. Thus, it’s their first compact saloon, rivalling BMW’s 120, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz CLA, for example. This car is lower, longer and wider than its A3 Sportback counterpart. Of the four engine varieties available, the 1.8-litre TFSI petrol engine offers the most power; its 180PS … [Read more...]
Kia pro_cee’d GT
Kia is best known for its low prices and industry-leading seven-year warranty – now it is hoping to inject a little excitement into the brand image with its first serious hot hatchback, the pro_cee’d GT. A quick glance at the three-door GT and it is clear Kia has serious intentions, if only from the way that the car looks – and it has taken five years of design work to get it looking like … [Read more...]
Peugeot 2008
by Chris Adamson Crossovers started life as slightly shrunken 4x4s with the option not to have four-wheel drive – now there is a new sub-compact class that comes from the opposite direction by pumping up standard hatchbacks and among the newest is the Peugeot 2008. Based on the latest 208 the extra zero sees the body grow by 197mm (7.75in) in length and 92mm (3.62in) in height while retaining … [Read more...]
Volvo V40
Tom Scanlan selects three from Volvo’s V40 range Volvo’s record as leaders in the field of safety continues with its V40 cars. The V40 indicates how the Swedish company’s designs are heading, whilst continuing with ever-evolving technologies aimed at making driving safer not only for the driver and passengers, but for pedestrians as well...hence the airbag system that will cushion the impact … [Read more...]