Kim Henson test drive’s Maserati’s all wheel drive supercar coupé… (All words and photographs by, and copyright Kim Henson). Maserati… This famous name evokes thoughts of sleek Italian design, high performance and sophistication. All these aspects are neatly brought together in the current two door, four seater coupé GranTurismo Trofeo, which recently I was able to sample during a brief road … [Read more...]
Road Tests
Our in-depth appraisals of new cars available in the UK
Mazda MX-5RF 2.0 Homura – Road Test
Sometimes, the simple things in life please the most and that’s certainly the case with the Mazda MX-5, writes Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). The classic yet modern sports two-seater is straightforward, front-engine and rear-wheel-drive engineering, but underneath it embodies some of the latest technology to enhance owning, driving and enjoying the open-air experience in safety and, when … [Read more...]
Kia’s impressive line-up sampled…
Kim test-drives Kias – briefly driving five models from the current range, and likes what he found... It is no surprise to me that Kia is doing well in the U.K. market; to start with the firm offers a very wide range of models that currently encompass petrol power, hybrid propulsion and fully electric vehicles. Added to this wide range of buyer choice there is Kia’s market-leading seven year … [Read more...]
Toyota Yaris Premiere Edition – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) puts Toyota’s latest Yaris through its paces… The Toyota Yaris has been one of the brand’s most successful models with over 10 million made, and it’s not resting on its laurels. This Spring the familiar Yaris hatchback range was increased with the addition of the Premiere and GR models which have brought more electric power and greater refinement to the … [Read more...]
BMW iX2 XDrive 30 SAC – Road Test
If you thought that BMW don’t just build cars but also desires, you don’t have to look further than the new iX2 XDrive 30 sports activity coupé to appreciate the fact, says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). Announced last autumn with the second generation X2 series including its petrol powered stablemates from £39,365, the iX2 20 and 30 series models were their first pure electric … [Read more...]
Volkswagen ID.7 Pro Match – Road Test
Volkswagen has been on a learning curve with electric cars but now it’s heading towards the top of the class – says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). It has flirted with electric cars for many years and a decade ago gave us their zero emission versions of the e-Golf and e-Up, adapted models of their better known petrol and diesel hatchbacks. VW engineers knew change was coming down the … [Read more...]
Isuzu ‘New Look’ D-Max DL40 Double Cab Auto – Road Test
Kim Henson test drives Isuzu’s well-respected D-Max Double Cab (five seater) pick-up. (All words and images by, and copyright, Kim Henson). In recent years Isuzu has become increasingly prominent in the U.K. pick-up market, with a reputation for strength and reliability endearing buyers. Indeed this inherent durability is key to the company’s strategy, and in the firm’s own words, they… “focus … [Read more...]
Honda Civic Type R – Road Test
Honda Civic Type R – Road Test As we look down the road towards an all-electric future, enthusiastic drivers might want to refocus on the Honda Civic Type R, says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales)… It’s been with us in a few shapes for a quarter of a century and its enduring appeal is undoubtedly its very driver-focused design and engineering which has steadily matured, not really grown … [Read more...]
Hyundai Tucson Premium Hybrid Auto – Road Test
The Hyundai Tucson is a quality SUV which many prospective buyers might overlook, at their cost, says Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales). The Tucson range runs to five models, SE Connect, Premium, N Line, N Line S and Ultimate, from £31,535 to over £44,575 with 2WD, or with PHEV powertrain to stretch economy and 4WD. Power outputs accordingly range from 150 PS to 265 PS with model dependent … [Read more...]
Kia EV9 GT-Line S – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) assesses Kia's EV9 in GT-Line S form... Kia is riding the crest of a new wave with its range-topping luxury EV9 SUV this spring. The Kia EV9 achieved a remarkable dual victory at the 2024 World Car Awards at the New York International Auto Show in March, being voted World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle., taking Kia to five titles in the … [Read more...]
Subaru Outback 2.5ES Touring – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) test drives Subaru’s Outback 2.5ES, in range-topping ‘Touring’ form. When the going gets tough, so it’s said, the tough get going and the Subaru Outback will probably lead the way for most drivers. It mayn’t be an obvious choice because it does not look like a classic big-wheeled off-roader with enough space around the wheel arches to coral a sheep, or … [Read more...]
Honda Civic e:HEV Advance – Road Test
Robin Roberts (and WheelsWithinWales) fully assesses the Advance version of Honda’s family favourite Civic… Honda has a lot of pride in the Civic, and it’s justified. Honda started making Civic models in 1972, nine years after it expanded from motor-bikes into cars with the N360 and then the 1300, and Civic put the brand on the world map for automobiles. So the Civic is the company’s longest … [Read more...]
Toyota C-HR Excel 1.8 FWD – Road Test
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...]
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...]
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