THE NEW DS 4, ONE MODEL WITH TWO BODY STYLE OPTIONS First drive by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) DS, the standalone premium brand under the parentage of Citroën, is introducing their latest DS 4 range in November 2015 with two distinct and stylish five door body styles, the DS 4 Hatchback and the DS Crossback; all are front wheel drive. The latter version in terms of styling and a 30mm … [Read more...]
First Impressions
Our brief encounters with new models on the U.K. market
Testing Times – Brief Impressions from the SMMT Test Day South 2015
BRIEF FIRST IMPRESSIONS – CARS DRIVEN AT THE SOCIETY OF MOTOR MANUFACTURERS AND TRADERS’ 2015 TEST DAY SOUTH Kim Henson was there… The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) hosts an annual driving day specifically for motoring writers from the southern part of Britain. Without exception I find this a very useful occasion for driving a variety of vehicles from different … [Read more...]
Fiat 500X First Impressions
Kim Henson test-drives Fiat’s new ‘crossover’ model in deepest Wiltshire… Through automotive history Fiat has rightly been highly praised for its expertise and flair in producing highly effective ‘compact’ vehicles, and the huge popularity of the ‘new’ 500 (in fact introduced eight years ago now) is testament to this. To give some idea of the public’s love for this car, U.K. sales in 2008 were … [Read more...]
Suzuki Celerio First Impressions
Kim Henson takes to the wheel of Suzuki’s diminutive but internally spacious city car; he's impressed by the whole package, particularly the Celerio’s three cylinder Dualjet engine… but is he (at last) lost for words? SUZUKI’S SUCCESS STORY Before describing the Celerio, it is worth briefly mentioning the success story of its manufacturer. In recent times Suzuki has been doing … [Read more...]
Kias Galore – Model Round-up – First Impressions
Kim Henson drives a selection of Kias, and is enthusiastic about the cars, also the company’s dynamic approach as it looks ahead. Justifiably, Kia’s reputation has been growing, with increasing respect being gained among potential purchasers for the firm’s model line-up, the boldness of its adventurous designs, and the leading edge technology incorporated into its vehicles. Within just the … [Read more...]
Suzuki Vitara First Impressions
Kim Henson assesses the latest Vitaras from Suzuki... The UK launch of the first Suzuki Vitara took place in the autumn of 1988, and it could justifiably be said that the Vitara was the original compact ‘Sport Utility Vehicle’ (SUV). (In fact the early models have now attained something approaching cult status, and are highly valued by enthusiasts today). However, in fact the origins of the … [Read more...]
Seat Leon X-PERIENCE First Impressions
Kim Henson tries Seat’s new ‘soft roader’, on tarmac and in the forest… The Seat company was established in 1950 (in a partnership which included the Italian firm of Fiat) and produced its first model – the rear wheel drive 1400 saloon – from late 1953, at it’s Zona Franca base in Barcelona. Initially that vehicle was built primarily for chauffeur duties for Spanish government … [Read more...]
Audi TT Roadster and TTS Coupé First Impressions
Kim Henson drives Audi’s suave TT models… Audi’s line-up goes from strength to strength, and joining the range in the spring of 2015 were a new, third generation two seater TT Roadster (complementing the TT Coupé) plus a powerful TTS Coupé – representing the second generation of this model, priced from £31,955 to £37,555 (‘On The ‘Road’); in each case the prices are £2,185 more than … [Read more...]
New Mazda 2
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...]
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...]
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