Author: Robin Roberts

They upset the car market, then the EV sector, and now it looks like Kia will disrupt the lucrative MPV and business categories. Kia predicted their electric PV5 Passenger model and van would reach 2,500 sales in Britain, but it has doubled that and is still climbing with just a five-seat model and very big luggage capacity. The addition of a CV derivative is another challenger to legend models from European manufacturers and it has even produced a wheelchair accessible version along with plans for six or a seven seater. When it was revealed as a concept in January 2024…

When it comes to sports cars and motor-sport, one Italian brand stands out – and it’s not what you may think – Maserati. Rarer than those cars with a prancing horse badge, the Maserati Trident is still the only badge on an Italian model which has twice won the Indianapolis 500 and has endeared it to thousands of American car fans. In the United States, posers want to be seen in Ferraris, while driving enthusiasts slip into a Maserati to secretly  enjoy their winding, wide roads. Maserati has been in the hands of two Italian families since its foundation in…

Audi has a habit of putting its finger on precisely the right section of the market to make a point to rivals. It has succeeded with sports cars, coupes, limousines and big SUVs, so the Q3 really deserves consideration in the compact SUV sector. Essentially it is a taller and roomier model with strong associations to the A3 Hatch and comes in a wide range of models. Audi has a bewildering choice in the Q3 series essentially with Sport and S Line names but added into the mix are various Launch or Edition models. The power ingredients comprise 1.4 or…

After its British launch in 1990, Lexus raised the bar for other executive marques and today it is the oldest surviving premium brand from Japan, and still the benchmark for British buyers. From an initial two models in the early 90s, the Lexus line up has dramatically grown to offer something in each of the main sectors and delivers a range of powertrains to suit the needs of every customer. Luxury SUVs have always been popular in the UK and the latest Lexus RZ series is a clear evolution of the first since its introduction in 2023. Announced in autumn…

New analysis from vehicle history platform carVertical shows electric models are now the most commonly clocked cars in the UK, with 3% of those checked showing evidence of mileage tampering. That puts EVs ahead of diesel cars (2.8%), petrol cars (2.5%) and hybrids (2%) and comes at a time when many households are looking for ways to cut motoring costs by switching to an EV. The data shows some used EV brands may carry a particularly high risk. Among electric cars checked by carVertical in the UK, Kia had the highest share with mileage discrepancies extending to (13.6%) or one-in-eight…

Honda has a lot of experience building their capable Civic, and it really shows in the latest line up of a model which can trace its ancestry over 54 years. Today, the Honda Civic hybrid comes in Elegance trim from £34,325, Sport beginning at £35,945 and our Advance version from £39,295. The entry model includes a lot of driving safety systems and heated front seats while the mid-range car also has a heated steering wheel, wireless charging and privacy glass with the top version also gaining a big glass sunroof, leather upholstery, premium Bose sound and adaptive driving beam. The…

The eight-year long warranty with the new Aion V is going to be a big attraction to buyers. Back that with eight years servicing, eight years AA roadside assistance, eight years of MoTs and you have the ‘great eight’ incentive. What’s more, each Aion V comes with the promise of an AA technician who will come to your home and do a regular scheduled service if it cannot be done by one of its dealer partners which will rise from an initial 25 outlets to about 100 over the next four years and the first will be named at the…

The UK new car market grew by 24.0% to reach 149,247 last month, according to the  Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and the 2 millionth BEV was registered. The increase reflects a rebound from an unusually weak April last year, when buyers pulled purchases forward to March to beat incoming vehicle tax increases, including the application of VED and the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) on battery electric vehicles (BEVs). While April remains a traditionally low volume month, magnifying year-on-year variation, this was the best outturn since 2019’s 161,064 units. Growth was recorded in all sectors, led by fleets, up…

If you are coming around to the idea that battery electric vehicles are the new norm, the Polestar 4 SUV possibly will take you back. While the pure EV sector is becoming baffling with its new Chinese entitled brands, the Polestar pedigree goes back a bit further and to a surprising beginning. Polestar Racing was created from the Swedish touring car racing team of Flash Engineering founded in 1996 before Volvo acquired them in the summer of 2015 and made it the halo brand for performance models. Volvo, you may know, had established a name in rally and racing history…

Driving enthusiasts of a certain age will fondly remember how Skoda seriously challenged and embarrassed the most expensive works rally teams with its comparatively cheaper Flying Fabias. And in national and club rallies across Europe they can still pull out a few surprises. When skill and low weight combined, the flying Fabias really set the pace for others to follow. Now, a different set of standards ensure the regular production Skoda Fabia 130 can show a clean pair of wheels to competitor models. While some car-makers have all but withdrawn from the warm hatchback sector to pour money into the…