Author: Robin Roberts

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…

Launching as a five seater, it will expand next year with two more seats and take on the CX 80 identifier. For now we have the CX 60 at the flagship and it’s brimming with technology, both in the powertrain and also the driving and comfort areas. We briefly tesed all three trim levels from Exclusive to Homura and Takima and saw between 30 and 42 mpg over various main roads and some dual carriageway roads in North Wales. The petrol engine was fairly quiet idling but noise level became more noticeable at higher revolutions while the electric motor hummed…

The new Mazda CX-60 now going on sale is the most powerful model ever from the company. The range-topping SUV is Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid and it combines their acclaimed Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 100 kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery. Together these produce 327ps and use an eight-speed automatic transmission to put down power to all four wheels as it’s needed. This head-turning powertrain offers a choice of drive modes: Normal, Sport, Off-Road, Towing and EV, with the latter making it possible to drive under electric power for over 39 miles, comfortably more…

Jaguar Land Rover is facing assembly problems at its plants in September. Ironically, its only full electric model, the I-Pace assembled by Magna International in Graz, Austria, is also on stop at a time when demand for electric cars is surging. No Land Rover Discovery, Evoque and Velar models will be built through September due to parts shortages but some production continues with the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender. Jaguar XE, XF and F-Pace models are also on stop but F-Type will still be assembled. Jaguar indicated earlier this year that its next generation and much more up-market…

Lexus has always been the quiet executive car brand and reaches a new level of refinement with its 300e pure battery version of the existing hybrid SUV. Some 15 years experience building hybrid cars were brought to bear when it created the UX 300e and it lacks nothing its stablemates have but adds 2020s propulsion, safety and communications technology. There are four versions with the standard car priced from £44,095, rising to £47,595 for the UX300e with Premium Plus Pack on 17-inch wheels and the 18-inch shod version at £48,345, while the range is topped with the Takumi Pack retailing…

A comprehensive survey by Rivervale Leasing found that the escalating cost of energy is the most common concern, as 21% say that they think the potential of higher home charging tariffs could stop the UK from switching to electric. Vince Pemberton, Chief executive officer at Rivervale Leasing admits, “It’s not the strongest environment at the moment for buyer confidence. “There might be a higher upfront cost in going electric but the longer-term saving is substantial. I don’t think this is made clear enough” Pemberton continues, citing rocketing fuel costs among other factors. “If you’re lucky enough to have a driveway or…

If you’ve ever spent a night sleeping in your car it can be a very disconcerting place to wake up, but that was one of the tests engineers set themselves creating the new Honda Civic e:HEV, writes Robin Roberts. Sleeping on the job took on a whole new purpose for them to evaluate the interior and the view out of it after a night’s kip in the car. What is seen when opening the eyes, how relaxing it is and what does it feel like to stretch and touch the controls to start up, adjust heating and ventilation and then…

To those in the know, Suzuki has a very strong engineering history and its 4×4 models’ capabilities are legendary and affordable. It’s the same story with the new Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid just tested as the more powerful electric motor has been introduced to not only increase power but also efficiency and economy, and it’s reflected in a lower exhaust emissions figure as well which, of course, means it is cheaper to tax and business users’ penalty is lower. In March 2022, the Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid was added to the line-up, bringing a 140V electric motor with standard and…

EV charging network InstaVolt is raising its price 15.7% to 66ppKWh from Monday. The rise applies to all payment types and the company says the steep rise is due to the enforced 20% VAT rate on public chargers compared to just 5% levied on domestic points. Other public point providers are expected to follow suit as the electric supply industry faces enormous increases this autumn. “As has been well documented, the global cost of energy is at a record high. As a responsible business committed to the continued investment in the UK’s public charging infrastructure, we’ve taken the difficult decision to…