Kieron Fennelly puts the CX 30 through its paces – and describes its clever, innovative SkyActiv engine… Mazda is one of the smaller manufacturers, rather like Volvo. However, unlike the Swedish company which is part of the Chinese concern Geely, Mazda continues to plough an independent furrow. For many years, Ford was a major shareholder, but Dearborn gave up its 33% in 2010 when it also sold … [Read more...]
Latest Kia XCeed – Road Test
NEW KIA XCEED ADDS TO THE BRAND’S RECORD SALES MODEL LINE-UP… …explains David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). So what is the new Kia XCeed? Well it’s the latest member of the Ceed C-segment family that until recently was made up of the Ceed five door hatchback, Ceed Sportswagon estate and the newer ProCeed Shooting brake models. The Ceed family of models is Kia’s third best-selling model … [Read more...]
Nissan Qashqai – Road Test
THE LATEST NISSAN QASHQAI CROSSOVER; STILL THE LEADER OF THE PACK. David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) reports… The British built Nissan Qashqai is today generally recognised as the founder of the Crossover vehicle market sector when it was launched in 2007. It offered SUV styling with family hatchback sizing and practicality, and with 2WD and 4WD traction options. But it was in fact the … [Read more...]
Suzuki Vitara 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T – Road Test
Suzuki Vitara 1.0 Boosterjet SZ-T – Road Test. Kim Henson test drives the latest version of the 1.0 litre three cylinder Vitara... (All words and photographs by Kim). The Vitara has been a popular Suzuki model for more than 30 years since the original was launched, and the previous generation SUV (which made its debut in 2015) continues the trend in being a well-respected vehicle. The latest … [Read more...]
Kia e-Niro – First Impressions
KIA’S ROAD TO GREENER MOTORING WITH THE e-NIRO… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) takes a test drive. Alternatively fuelled vehicles, pure electric, petrol-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids saw a 21% increase in UK new car sales last year to 141,270 units, but only 15,474 of those vehicles were pure electric models. So far this year only around 2,000 battery electric cars were sold in … [Read more...]
Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Adventure – Road Test
Kim Henson assesses a special edition of Suzuki’s compact five door ‘crossover’/SUV city car… (All words and photographs by Kim). Suzuki’s Ignis arrived in the U.K. early in 2017, at once appealing to buyers due to its ‘stand-out-from-the-crowd’ looks, also its sprightly performance and commendable fuel consumption. Buyers also like the car for its generous interior space (within a compact body … [Read more...]
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.4 SZ5 ALLGRIP – Road Test
David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) test drives the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.4 SZ5 ALLGRIP 4WD automatic crossover... 2017 saw the SUV/Crossover/4WD market sector continue the trend set in 2016 for month-on-month record increases in sales, not just in the UK but Europe as well. In the UK one out of every five new cars sold was an SUV or Dual Purpose vehicle. 2018 has started in the same vein … [Read more...]
Renault Kadjar Signature S Nav TCe 165 1.6 petrol – Road Test
Higher performance petrol engine added to the Renault Kadjar line-up... By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The C-segment mid-sized Renault Kadjar, five door, five seater SUV/Crossover was launched two years ago and sits between the smaller and recently revised Renault Captur and the larger Renault Koleos SUV/Crossover launched last year. With a move by customers – not surprisingly – … [Read more...]
Audi SQ5 Turbocharged TSFI – Road Test
New Audi SQ5 349 bhp turbocharged TFSI petrol SUV flagship roars in… David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) assesses this impressive machine. The previous generation SQ5 was a V6 335 bhp TDI turbodiesel model and the first ‘S’ model to have a TDI diesel engine in the UK, also the first Q model to be available with ‘S’ performance specification. The latest Q5 range went on sale earlier in 2017, … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Crossland X – First impressions
Chris Adamson gives his views on Vauxhall’s compact Crossland X SUV... (All words and photographs by Chris). Vauxhall was among the pioneers in the sports utility market here in the UK with the Frontera (remember that rather agricultural mud-plugger) even if it did borrow heavily from Isuzu in the first place. Times have moved on and everyone, including Vauxhall, has a model range bulging … [Read more...]
Updated Nissan Qashqai – News and Road Test
The Family Holdall – The latest Nissan Qashqai improved in most areas. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The Nissan Qashqai is a C-SUV segment mid-sized ‘Crossover’ first launched in 2007 and is generally credited with launching the term Crossover. In real terms what does Crossover mean? Well the space of a C-segment family hatchback with the raised ride height and styling of an SUV, … [Read more...]
Totally-new Peugeot 5008 – First Impressions
All-new Peugeot 5008 finally arrives in UK… By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Originally debuted at the Paris Motor Show in the Autumn of 2016 and originally scheduled to arrive in the UK in the Spring of this year, the all-new Peugeot 5008 seven seater SUV has finally started to arrive in the UK, but full availability for delivery to customers won’t start until January 2018. The … [Read more...]
Peugeot 2008 Puretech – Road Test
Peugeot 2008 Puretech – The crossover with a golden heart. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Peugeot’s hugely popular 2008 compact Crossover has a heart of gold – literally. One of its engine options, the PureTech 1.2 litre three cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, has just been awarded, for the third year running, the 2017 Engine of the Year award in the 1.0 to 1.4 litre category. The … [Read more...]
Honda HR-V Compact SUV/Crossover Road Test
Honda’s latest HR-V – Driven by Robin Roberts (Miles Better News Agency). SUV-drivers are very style conscious so I was pleased as punch when a few I know quite well praised the Honda HR-V. One asked what it was while another said they loved the sweeping lines, and both said they would certainly think of buying one next time around. Honda’s compact SUV was deliberately styled to give it a … [Read more...]
New MINI Countryman Road Test
Largest production MINI ever – The new MINI Countryman. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). In the 58-year history of Mini as it was and MINI as it is now under the BMW Group ownership, the all-new second generation Countryman five door Crossover/SUV type is the largest production Mini or MINI ever to go on sale. UK deliveries started in February with prices from £22,465 and running … [Read more...]
Peugeot 3008 SUV/Crossover Road Test
Stylish New Peugeot 3008 SUV Crossover Now on Sale, plus New 3008 DKR Raid Rally models finish 1-2-3 in the 2017 Dakar Rally. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). UK deliveries of the all-new Peugeot 3008 have just started in January. The new model is described as a Crossover cum SUV rather than the previous generation, introduced in 2009, which was more MPV cum Crossover. But they are … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi ASX – Revised 2017 Model; Launch and Road Test
2017 Revised Mitsubishi ASX Crossover Debuts in the UK. Report by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). The revised, higher specification 2017 Mitsubishi ASX mid-sized Crossover/SUV range is now on sale in the UK with prices starting from a competitive £16,184 on-the-road or £169 a month PCP finance plan over three years. All models have a five year, 62,500 mile warranty and, keeping … [Read more...]
Infiniti QX30 First Impressions, plus Motor Industry Update
Keeping Calm and Carrying On… The UK Car Manufacturing Industry. British built Infiniti QX30 first drive. By David Miles (Miles Better News Agency). Good news from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is that despite the uncertainty of the Brexit vote to leave the EU, the UK’s car production for global markets achieved a 14 year high in August and a 12% increase year to … [Read more...]
Peugeot 3008 Road Test
David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) assesses the Peugeot 3008 Crossover. ‘An Oldie but Still a Goodie’ (that’s the car, not necessarily David…). The original Peugeot 3008 Crossover was launched in 2009 and updated at the end of 2013. Today in new car terms it is a bit of an ‘oldie’ especially as it sells in the highly competitive SUV/Crossover sector which is the fastest growing area of the … [Read more...]
New Kia Sportage First Impressions
First drive of Kia's new Sportage, by Keith Ward THE Sportage sold in record numbers here of around 23,000 in 2015. That has not stopped Kia kicking off 2016 with an all-new fourth generation version of what is easily its best-selling model, and declaring a target for it of 25,000 UK sales in the next 12 months. An 18-strong range is priced between £17,995 and £31,495, so starting £495 dearer … [Read more...]