Kim Henson takes a close look at Mazda’s latest supermini… Whichever way you look at the figures, the Mazda brand is going from strength to strength, with U.K. sales increasing at an exponential rate in recent times. In large part this is due to the rapid and comprehensive introduction of new models, all with with built-in ‘buyer appeal’. In fact, with the launch of five new models planned during … [Read more...]
First Impressions
Our brief encounters with new models on the U.K. market
BMW 218 Active Tourer
Kieron Fennelly tries BMW's stylish front wheel drive 218 Active Tourer The last decade has been a confusing time for BMW purists: the range has expanded bewilderingly and the three roundels badge now seems to adorn all manner of crossovers, hatchbacks and hunchbacks (which BMW calls ‘GT’s). Gone are the high revving, naturally aspirated straight six and V8 petrol engines, replaced by … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Passat
VW's latest Passat is actually the eighth generation since they introduced the name in 1973. By Tom Scanlan It's a completely new car and, as pretty well all manufacturers are managing at the moment, offers more efficiency in terms of fuel consumption and up to 14% cleaner emissions. Some of this is down to a weight saving of up to a massive 85 kilograms. Of course, no new car would be … [Read more...]
New Ford Focus (December 2014)
Tom Scanlan drives the new Ford Focus... Ford’s new Focus includes the new Ford family front-end look and a re-designed interior. New engines, including 1.5-litre diesel and 1.5 petrol are expected to deliver fuel efficiency improvements of up to fifteen per cent, along with lower emissions. Ford says that the already excellent driving dynamics have been further improved with a stiffer … [Read more...]
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Tom Scanlan tries Audi's latest fascinating A3... The car has a combination of a re-worked 1.4 TFSI petrol engine producing 150PS and a 70 kWh electric motor. Total maximum output is 204PS. As a 'come and buy me' incentive, Audi has endowed the e-tron with some upgraded equipment over the non-hybrid equivalent Sportback. However, the whole package costs well over £5000 more, even taking into … [Read more...]
Tesla Model S
Tesla? What’s that? Well, petrol-heads would know, even if there’s no petrol anywhere near it... by Tom Scanlan The designers of these American 100% electric cars have achieved a lot. The cars themselves are the ultimate expression so far of what can be achieved using just electricity. Their performance is in the supercar range and they are extraordinarily impressive to drive. Until very … [Read more...]
Fiat 500X
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...]
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...]