Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) puts Toyota's revised C-HR through its paces… Dramatic styling marked the 2016 arrival of the Toyota C-HR SUV and now that’s been facelifted and given a technical make-over inside as well. Toyota’s Coupe-High Rider, to give it the full title, is one of the brand’s best selling models in Britain and has hit the sweet-spot in showrooms over the last … [Read more...]
Road Tests
Our in-depth appraisals of new cars available in the UK
Mazda CX-30 2.0 186 PS AWD Takumi – Road Test
Mazda has a modest UK range but every model comes with a lot of heart and soul, like the revised CX-30, explains Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)… Originally derived from the hatchback Mazda3 but smaller than the CX-5 SUV, the CX-30 came to the UK for 2020, but of course we all know what happened then as the pandemics swept through the country. Britain and Mazda persevered and now their … [Read more...]
BYD Atto 3 Design – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) puts this BYD newcomer through its paces. There is no doubt that China’s BYD car company is a new major challenger to legend European manufacturers with its Atto 3 cross-over. Not only does it have Europe’s familiar family cars in sight but it will be aiming to pick off sales from the Korean and Japanese brands which have had it much their own way up to … [Read more...]
Honda e:Ny1 Advance – Road Test
As the EV market expands, Honda has rolled out its challenger in the family sector, the e:Ny1. Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) reports… A couple of years ago, Honda briefly introduced its city car sized e model but that had severe limitations in terms of size, range and appeal so the much larger e:Ny1 will take the Japanese firm’s fight to the chargers. It’s a wise move as SUV models … [Read more...]
Honda Jazz Crosstar Advance Sport – Road Test
The Honda Jazz is one of the brand’s longest-lived models and remains one of its best kept secrets over 42 years, says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). Improved for 2024, the Jazz range begins with the Elegance and Advance hatchbacks at £26,395 or £27,550, with the Crosstar Advance topping them at £28,550 before road tax is added. The slightly taller Crosstar Advance gets the same … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Touareg Black Edition – Road Test
For some, the Volkswagen Touareg is very old school, but for many newcomers it can still teach them lessons, says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)... If you have to regularly cover long distances at all hours, with or without people or luggage, or have to tow a horsebox or trailer, the Touareg will perform such tasks without trouble. Appropriately named after a nomadic Sahara group, the … [Read more...]
Ford Puma ST mHEV – Road Test
The Ford Puma outran all its rivals to sit on the top of Britain’s car sales in 2023, and it’s easy to see why, explains Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)… Ford has a soft-spot for the Puma, first considered using it for a performance version of the Escort and then putting it on the 1997 compact coupé before shelving it a couple of years later, only to resurrect it after 17 years for the … [Read more...]
Skoda Octavia turbo-diesel Estate – Road Test
‘Diesel cars are a dying range but all I can say is long live the Skoda Octavia Estate turbo-diesel’ says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). It’s going to become a model we will look back upon and ponder; wonder why such a thoroughly good all rounder has to be replaced by much more expensive, less practical and, frankly, less satisfying electric rivals. It’s one of the oldest model names … [Read more...]
Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S – Road Test
Robin Roberts (WheelsWithinWales) puts the ID.3 through its paces… Of the legacy car-makers, Volkswagen has developed a very wide and strong range of new generation electric models. It has been working on electric cars for many years so it was probably only natural that modernising its best selling Golf family car would feature in its approach to the future, and the ID.3 fills the sector in … [Read more...]
Honda CR-V HEV 4WD – Road Test
Robin Roberts (WheelsWithinWales) puts the CR-V through its paces… Honda’s product range is one of the most diverse on the market but it’s all steadily heading in one direction towards pure battery power over the next few years. In the meantime, and probably being very wise to hedge bets about the roll out of the battery electric vehicle industry, Honda has given us the widest choice and the … [Read more...]
Honda HR-V Advance – Road Test
Robin Roberts (WheelsWithinWales) test drives the Honda HR-V. Honda is for humans not robots and it shows in their model range with the HR-V. The third SUV in their line-up after the Jazz and CRV, the third generation Honda HR-V comes only with a petrol-electric powertrain utilising two electric motors and an Atkinson-cycle petrol engine for greater efficiency as a hybrid and it showed with … [Read more...]
Latest version Suzuki Swace estate car – Road Test
Kim Henson reports on living with Suzuki’s Swace estate car during 750 miles of mixed everyday motoring… (All words and photographs by, and copyright, Kim Henson). These days SUVs rule, it seems, or at least they do for some buyers. However there are many motorists who prefer the ‘traditional’ estate car approach to styling and construction. While Suzuki offers competence galore with the … [Read more...]
Audi TT – history to date, and test driving the final variant
Robin Roberts (WheelsWithinWales and Miles Better News Agency) reflects on the modern classic Audi TT's history, and puts the latest – and last – variant through its paces. Birth of the Audi TT The Audi TT – one of the most evocative and transformative models ever to have borne the four rings – celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023, the year in which production of the Coupé and … [Read more...]
Audi Q8 e-tron S Line 55 quattro – Road Test
Audi’s flagship all-electric model is on course to make waves in the luxury sector, writes Robin Roberts; © WheelsWithinWales The Q8 e-tron is available in both SUV and Sportback coupé bodystyles with different battery sizes, charging and range potential but all get 4WD. There are four trim levels beginning with Sport, moving onto S line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. All versions can be … [Read more...]
Ford Focus Estate – Road Test
The latest Ford Focus Active X Estate test driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). If you are selling Britain’s most popular family car it is difficult to improve on it, unless you offer an estate version like the Ford Focus Active X. There has been a groundswell of sales lift towards MPV or SUV bodystyle across Europe but in Britain there is still strong demand for estates … [Read more...]
Test-driving recent new models at the SMMT Test Day South 2023
Kim Henson reports from this annual event that he rates as 'invaluable'… For many years the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders or SMMT (the U.K.’s industry body representing the automotive sector) has provided annual opportunities for motoring writers to attend regional events, in the north and south of England respectively, primarily to assess a wide variety of models showcased by the … [Read more...]
Honda Jazz e-Hybrid – Road Test
The latest Honda Jazz e-Hybrid Advance Sport test driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). A lot of airtime and column centimetres/inches have been taken up with the new Wales’ default 20 mph urban limit, but I’ll let you into a little secret, you can do 100 in a Honda Jazz Advance Sport, and it’s perfectly legal. The fact is I am not talking about the sporty Jazz’s speed, … [Read more...]
Kia goes from strength to strength with a wide variety of models
Kia goes from strength to strength with a wide variety of models Kim meets Kias… Kim Henson samples four Kia models from the current range – and is impressed. There are many good reasons why Kia is enjoying sales success in the U.K. These include the firm’s famous, market-leading seven year warranty, the very wide range of models and propulsion types – including, of course, hybrid and fully … [Read more...]
Subaru Solterra Touring – Road Test
Subaru’s first all-electric model – the Solterra Touring test driven by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Subaru made its name in Britain with some compact go-anywhere estates before its reputation accelerated through the World Rally Championship. Both disciplines relied on a thoroughly designed and engineered all-wheel-drive system which would put much more expensive and … [Read more...]
Genesis GV60 EV – Road Test
The new Genesis GV60 Premium all-electric car tested by Robin Roberts (and Miles Better News Agency). Having the right face can open many doors and this is the thinking behind the latest Genesis GV60 EV. It is the first model to use the company’s new pure electric platform, already winning independent awards for its sophistication and performance, and has just been updated with a raft of … [Read more...]
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