Author: Robin Roberts

Sometimes we look forward to long journeys with trepidation and other times with anticipation, and it was definitely the latter in the Honda Civic e:HEV. Briefly tested and impressed a few weeks earlier, a 320 miles round trip in a few hours was going to be confirmation of our initial impression or realisation we had got it wrong then. We need not have worried, of course. The latest Honda Civic e:HEV is a very worthy successor to the previous Civic series and is a larger, smoother and more refined model by some margin. Honda has invested a lot in the…

Suzuki has passed another milestone on its road to future mobility with the arrival in UK showrooms of the latest Full Hybrid S Cross SUV. Using the same powertrain from its Vitara stablemate, the S Cross Full Hybrid is a logical development of the mild-hybrid S Cross introduced at the end of 2021. That has been a runaway success for Suzuki despite constraints imposed by this year’s semi-conductor shortages and now the S Cross FH model brings added refinements within its outstanding packaging and price. Grade for grade, the newcomer easily undercuts rivals using Suzuki’s policy of giving owners all…

A whole new cell of cars is being created for our electric future and some of them were lined up at the annual SMMT driving day for motoring writers. We have seen hybrid adaptations of some familiar models and they have been joined by pure electric derivatives but these are about to be replaced by a completely new generation from the world’s car-makers. After Tesla broke new ground with their long range and highly sophisticated battery electric vehicles in the first decade of this century traditional and familiar car makers started developing and refining their own projects using Tesla models…

A point by charge-point study is being carried out into how drivers of electric vehicles boost their power. Zap-Map, the UK’s leading charge point mapping service, and UK law firm TLT have joined forces to uncover where, when and how UK consumers are charging electric vehicles (EV) – and what this means for the development and funding of the public charging network in future. The report sees industry experts share their analysis of Zap-Map survey data, sharing insights into the public charging network and funding landscapes – from taking the temperature on investor confidence through to describing new funding models…

Wales saw a fall in new car registrations last month, the only part of Britain suffering as the cost of living rose.  The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported 8,342 new cars were registered by Welsh dealerships last month compared with 8,637 a year ago. That’s a decline of 3.42% on the year to date. The top ten models sold in Wales in September were: Nissan Qashqai, Ford Puma, and VW Polo, Ford Kuga, Ford Fiesta, Kia Sportage, MG ZS, Dacia Sandero, Toyota Aygo X and Toyota Yaris. In the whole of the UK, car sales went up 4.59%…

Like every other manufacturer, Ford is struggling to fulfill orders in the current climate of confusion but it’s worth waiting to get your hands on the latest Focus ST. The market is changing for petrol-heads but the Focus ST still remains very desirable, particularly in the six-speed manual specification we tried as opposed the seven-speed automatic option. Our test car was fitted with £2,775 of extras comprising special body colour, Performance Pack of additional Track Mode and selectable Continuously controlled Damping, driver assistance pack with intelligent cruise control, Head-up display and Active Park Assist with rear wide view camera. Fast…

The UK Automotive industry is unlikely to return to previous high levels of production and component suppliers in Wales must look elsewhere to survive, delegates to the Autolink 2022 conference were told this week. The gloomy outlook and warning was given by Prof Ian Henry, managing director of AutoAnalysis and a HM Government advisor on the motor industry speaking at the annual Welsh Automotive Forum event in Cardiff Stadium. Over 200 member delegates, supplier and service representatives attended the only Welsh networking event for the automotive sector. Prof Henry said that a combination of Brexit changes, Covid and chip shortages…

There has been a long line of highly acclaimed Audi RS3 models, higher performance versions of the popular A3 series which launched in 1996 and included the S derivatives three years later before the original Audi RS3 appeared in dealerships in 2011. The revised RS then ran from 2015 until 2020 and in late 2021 we saw the current third generation unveiled. I believe the newcomer will become a future classic with its phenomenal five-cylinder 400ps petrol engine punching out 500Nm for something like two-thirds of its power range. Aligned with an incredibly smooth seven-speed automatic/manual transmission and long legged…

Toyota’s original SUV is now its flagship hybrid and most powerful. However, it’s not all about power as it also delivers excellent economy and a long electric-only range with good real-world performance. For MY2023 it’s sold in Design, Dynamic and Dynamic Premium specifications, a far cry from when it hit our roads in the mid-1990s. Prices start at £44,140 and equipment fitted and option packs push this up, so our test car was from £45,755, meaning it does not get the Gov. assistance grant and you pay more in subsequent years for road tax. We have always appreciated the RAV4…

After being launched in Britain in 2016, the Kia Niro has risen to become the marque’s second best seller in the UK and the third most popular in Europe, consistently increasing sales each year. Constant improvement has seen the core of the range remain the same but every update really is a step forward in terms of equipment and sophistication for each of the 2, 3 or 4 Grades of trim. It has also been one of the first ranges to embrace low carbon emissions so it is now sold with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric drivetrains. Our self-charging…