THE RENAULT KADJAR – ANOTHER IMPORTANT NEW MID-SIZED SUV CROSSOVER by David Miles (Miles Better News Agency) Before you scour the words in this new model test drive for what the word Kadjar means, it doesn’t seem to mean anything – it’s just a name hatched up by those creative marketing types. You know - the people who came up with oddball names for other Renault new cars such as Twizy, Zoe, … [Read more...]
DS 4 First Impressions
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...]
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...]
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...]
Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ4
An attractive, practical ‘crossover’ vehicle seeking to provide enjoyable and economical family motoring… Suzuki’s fresh-faced SX4 S-Cross looks very good on paper, but how does it shape up on the road? Kim Henson reports, test driving a range-topping turbo diesel SZ4 version. Today’s ‘crossover’ models (effectively combining the best attributes of saloons, hatchbacks, estate cars and sport … [Read more...]
Kias of Today sampled, July 2014
Kim Henson drives a selection of models from the current Kia line-up… I have been impressed by Kias since first having a five door Pride for a week-long road test… That was back in 1992, and at the time I rated the car as a cost-effective, competent hatchback, and which was a state-of-the-art machine in its time. In fact my findings were confirmed by a friend who bought a Pride in the early … [Read more...]
Peugeot 2008
by Chris Adamson Crossovers started life as slightly shrunken 4x4s with the option not to have four-wheel drive – now there is a new sub-compact class that comes from the opposite direction by pumping up standard hatchbacks and among the newest is the Peugeot 2008. Based on the latest 208 the extra zero sees the body grow by 197mm (7.75in) in length and 92mm (3.62in) in height while retaining … [Read more...]