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First Impressions

Our brief encounters with new models on the U.K. market

Kia multi-model Driving Day – Brief Impressions

16th August 2018

Kim Henson briefly samples a variety of Kia models… (All words and photographs by Kim, with the exception of the front and rear images of the Stonic; these two courtesy of Kia). In recent years interest in Kia motor cars has steadily gained ground, as the company’s available range in the UK has increased in terms of model type and ‘desirability’. This, coupled with a standard seven year … [Read more...]

MINI – Recent updates, plus new Cooper S Convertible – First Impressions

6th July 2018

MINI’s fast-changing modern world – Convertible Tried and Tested. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The Mini brand when British owned, or MINI now under the control of Germany’s BMW Group, celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2019. This year the Convertible celebrates its 25th anniversary. It first went on sale in 1993 as the Rover Mini Cabriolet. Although now German owned Oxford Plant … [Read more...]

BMW and MINI newcomers – First Impressions

3rd July 2018

Keeping calm and carrying on – BMW and MINI showcase their latest models. David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) tells all… With so many uncertainties affecting our motoring lives; falling UK new car sales due to the repercussions of Brexit and the potential for less investment in future new cars being built in the UK, potential higher interest rates dulling customer confidence, the demonising … [Read more...]

Latest Ford Focus – First Impressions

29th June 2018

New Ford Focus News and First Drive Views. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Britain’s best selling family car moves up several gears with the new Ford Focus which arrives in September. Building on its reputation for good handling from its launch 20 years ago, the newest generation is brimming with the latest technology under the all-new stronger bodies, including the latest … [Read more...]

New Mitsubishi Shogun Sport seven seater SUV – First Impressions

21st June 2018

Latest Mitsubishi Shogun Sport…  …tried and tested by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency).  A new tough Mitsubishi Shogun Sport is being launched into the booming SUV sector, and the only European country to get it is the UK. Unlike most of today’s 4x4s/SUVs/Crossovers on sale, the Shogun Sport is a no nonsense hard-core five door SUV with seven seats, a large 3,100 kg (6,834 lb) towing … [Read more...]

Kia – LOTS of News and Optima Sportswagon PHEV – First Impressions

7th June 2018

Kia keeping their eyes on the balls – and other news… By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). History and Sales Brand awareness through sponsorship is vital in these days of a very competitive and sometimes struggling new car market with diesel emissions and uncertainty over Brexit the latest issues to unsettle buyers. Kia was founded in 1946 in South Korea, and their imports to the UK … [Read more...]

Latest Suzuki Swift Sport – First Impressions

21st May 2018

Kim Henson samples the new Swift Sport… Suzuki’s eagerly-awaited new lightweight sports supermini goes on sale on 1st June with big savings for U.K. buyers during the first month… (All words and photographs by Kim Henson). News: Suzuki sales increasing… Before talking about the latest Swift Sport, it is interesting to take a brief look at how Suzuki is doing in the UK. In fact the firm is … [Read more...]

MS-RT Ford Transit Custom – First Impressions

7th May 2018

Ford’s MS-RT Transit Custom launched. By Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). A stunning bespoke van has been developed by Welsh-based specialist coachbuilder MS-RT working in collaboration with Cumbria-based M-Sport, who run the Ford World Rally Championship team for Ford. Founding director Ed Davies has been in the automobile business for 25 years, and worked with the rally-team for … [Read more...]

Hydrogen powered Toyota Mirai saloon – Brief First Impressions

30th April 2018

Kim Henson test drives the future… (All words and photos by Kim) ‘Bringing the future into the present’ is how Toyota headlines its revolutionary Mirai, the company’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle – and the world’s first to be mass-produced – that represents the culmination of 22 years of research and development. Of course Toyota is already long-famous for its pioneering work with hybrid models … [Read more...]

Vauxhall Corsa – Driving Impressions (after 25 years!)

17th April 2018

The Corsa generation – 25 years young. By Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). It maybe from another era but the truth is the Vauxhall Corsa is even more relevant today than when it first appeared 25 years ago. Born in the Britpop, Walkman and shell-suits age to the sounds of The Spice Girls, it has outlived them and is still Vauxhall’s best-seller. What’s more it consistently lurks … [Read more...]

Vauxhall Grandland X Ultimate – First Impressions

11th April 2018

New top of the SUV range Vauxhall Grandland X Ultimate – First Drive. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The Vauxhall Grandland X mid-sized five door, five seater SUV arrived with the first UK customers in January of this year and already 75% of sales have gone to retail buyers, making it Vauxhall’s second highest retail selling model range after the Corsa supermini hatchbacks. When … [Read more...]

New Volvo XC40 – First Impressions

19th March 2018

Volvo’s XC40 to arrive soon in the UK… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) gives his thoughts… Volvo’s push with introducing new products continues with the arrival in April of the first models in their XC40 compact SUV range of 2WD and 4WD (AWD), petrol and diesel models, and to come plug-in hybrid and fully electric powered versions – to be added to the line-up later. The Volvo brand has … [Read more...]

Latest Citroën C4 Cactus – First Impressions

13th March 2018

Revised Citroën C4 Cactus – softer looks, softer ride, harder prices! By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Arriving in April and able to carry a new 18 registration plate is the revised Citroën C4 Cactus range of mid-sized five door hatchbacks with petrol and diesel engine options, priced from £17,265 to £20,895. The previous generation range had a starter price of £13,770 but the increase … [Read more...]

New Kia Picanto arrives – First Impressions

2nd March 2018

Kia’s Picanto city car range receives the Crossover look… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) gives his initial assessment… Kia’s small city car, the Picanto five door hatchback range, launched in May last year, gains an X-Line Crossover/SUV styled version for 2018. Although small City Car sales fell by 10% in the UK last year, close to 69,000 buyers were still attracted to this segment. … [Read more...]

Latest Kia Sorento seven seater SUV – First Impressions

28th February 2018

The 2018 Kia Sorento seven seater SUV arrives in the UK. David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) reports on this latest version… More models with more specification – the 2018 enhanced versions of the third generation Kia Sorento seven-seat large SUV are now on sale in the UK at prices ranging from £28,995 to £41,995. This makes the top spec version the price list flagship of the brand’s … [Read more...]

Subaru XV Lineartronic – First Impressions

13th February 2018

Subaru XV Lineartronic – First Impressions As far as Europeans are concerned, Subaru, like Suzuki is one of the more esoteric Japanese car brands. If Suzuki is seen as a small car specialist, Subaru is associated with all wheel drive and a slightly more rugged nature. Twenty years ago the Subaru brand was synonymous with the rally-winning Impreza, a car which incidentally, went on to illustrious … [Read more...]

New Audi A8 – First Impressions

12th February 2018

Here now but ahead of its time – the all-new Audi A8. By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). The new fourth generation Audi A8 really is ahead of its time. Launching now, the flagship of the premium brand is the first car in the world to be built for the forthcoming age of autonomous vehicles which don’t require driver interaction in traffic at up to close to 40 mph, the so-called … [Read more...]

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – First impressions

8th February 2018

Chris Adamson samples the latest Mitsubishi… Car sales in the UK dropped by almost six per cent last year but one sector that actually saw an increase was the Sport Utility which continues to grow in popularity thanks to its versatility and design ethos. One of the first brands to exploit this sector was Mitsubishi (who built their first four-by-four in 1936) – its Shogun/Pajero launched in … [Read more...]

SEAT Arona compact SUV – First Impressions

18th January 2018

SEAT Arona Compact SUV... Another week, another SUV, says David Miles (Miles Better News Agency), who gives his first impressions of this latest SEAT model. Another week arrives and yet another new range of SUV models is released into our new car market already overflowing with choices. This time it’s the SEAT Arona compact five door SUV, which is largely based on SEAT’s recently introduced … [Read more...]

VW Tiguan Allspace – First Impressions

15th January 2018

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace SUV – more seats, wider appeal . By Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Defying the downward UK car sales trend through 2017 and rising to become the second best selling brand in the country, Volkswagen is out to make a bigger impression this year as it plugs gaps in its range. One of the spaces falls between the mid-sized Tiguan SUV and the largeTouareg … [Read more...]

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Contributors

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Our well-respected contributors live and breathe motor cars; aren’t we lucky?

Contributors to the site include talented, highly-respected people (so they tell me) on the hallowed membership list of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and from the similarly well thought-of Western Group of Motoring Writers. In addition there are valued contributions from other knowledgeable and capable motoring writers who have something useful to say about all aspects of driving and running vehicles in the 21st Century. All of our team are passionate about motor cars!


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