Author: Robin Roberts

Form flows into function with the Audi Q4 e-tron as the German executive brand shapes up its first compact SUV in the pure battery battle. The Q4 e-tron is available with a choice of power units, 125, 150 or 220kW outputs from two battery capacities, rear or all-wheel-drive and four trim levels. Depending on the battery pack chosen and charging facilities the Q4 e-tron can be boosted from low to 80 miles range in ten minutes and in under 40 minutes up to 80% energy is packed in for approximately 245 miles range. Its body-shape follows the desire to use…

Asians reputably love gambling, which goes some way to explain why the Kia Niro is available with three power options including an all-battery version. But it’s not so much of a gamble to introduce and sell the e-Niro BEV because it’s one of the best of its kind. A new generation of electric cars is coming on line to take over from the petrol-powered models as Governments around the world state their aim to end the reliance on fossil-fuels and take us down the electric road. But that is still a little way over the horizon to it makes sense…

Two decades after the first model went on UK sale it still provides unrivalled practicality and versatility. It’s the Tardis of transport thanks to its really clever Magic Seats which take three passengers in the rear but can also completely flip flat to turn it into a van-like carrier, or their bases can be folded up to take tall items lodged in the footwells. No other rival can do that. The latest Mk4 version comes in five models, three trim levels and standard or slightly taller Crosstar body from around £19,000 to £24,600. Wisely, Honda has chosen to build on…

The head-turning Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid is a genuinely new model in the booming family SUV sector where its stablemate SEAT brand has done so well. Formentor’s the first model designed and developed for the brand and this spring picked up the highly valued five-star safety award from Europe’s toughest crash testers. This new brand formerly launched with the Formentor last December as the prestigious performance range from SEAT and its’ gone from strength to strength. The latest e-Hybrids arrived in the Spring to join the initial five-engined, highly specified five trim levels sharing a common large five-door body. The Plug-in…

Individuals are getting larger and so are our cars, so it was the right time for the Toyota Highlander to be introduced to the UK market. Highlander is the company’s largest SUV and has been brought to European showrooms for the first time after 20-years on sale in Japan and America, brimming with fourth generation self-charging hybrid system to maximise emission-free driving without restricting its ability to go off-road or tow up to two tonnes. Our test car only had a pearlescent paint option at £925 but the slightly more expensive Highlander Excel Premium costs about £2,000 more. The Excel…

A successor introduced in 2019 to the smaller Lexus GS series, it has the advanced petrol & electric powertrain developed by parent Toyota over some 25 years. Lexus has been setting the standard as its engineering enters its third decade and passed two-million global ev sales in May while some car makers are only now coming to terms with hybrid power. A strong four-cylinder petrol engine and 120bhp electric motor optimise economy, lower emissions in urban situations as well as give a dramatic punch to performance when required by a driver. Displays on the comprehensive instruments show what is working…

This week, Mazda UK commissioned 20 electric charging points at its Darford headquarters as more staff progressively returned to the office, writes Robin Roberts. However, the UK and Europe’s rush to turn on electric cars over the coming decade has not dimmed Mazda’s investment in the internal combustion engine. “Mazda has very carefully developed its model ranges and platforms to adapt for four-cylinder ICE, Hybrids, PHEVs and pure battery models,” said Jeremy Thomson, MD of Mazda UK. “Our pioneering Skyactiv technology has produced some of the cleanest, most powerful and economical drivers’ cars and we have not stopped there because…

I have a soft spot for the Peugeot 2008 GT Line, having extensively used one during the 2020 lockdown and experienced the previous series in the family stable. But they were invariably the six-speed manual versions and I jumped at the chance to experience the eight-speed automatic derivative. The Peugeot 2008 has always been a favorite among the modern SUV models and the 130 automatic with the ubiquitous PSA triple-pot 1.2 litre engine is one of the best engineered and extensively used in the Stellantis models carrying Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Vauxhall badges. The silken automatic whether in eco, normal…

There’s something attractive about being able to cover ground quickly but discretely. Which probably explains why specialist police units like the Skoda Octavia Estate vRS. It’s quick, very quick in the right hands, and is roomy and comfortable for long stints in service. The technology under the bonnet and bodywork is straight out of the Volkswagen Group parts departments so its reliable as well. Further down the ranks of regular users you will also see taxi fleets dotted with them and a few chauffeur services appreciate their big load capacity and performance, particularly sipping fuel. Octavia is the most successful…

It’s not very often you can take a trip to Flat Holm under Suzuki power, but I’ve just done that. The familiar Japanese brand is probably best known for its cars and motorbikes but it actually makes some of the best outboard motors and it’s pioneering a development with them, just as it has built its business on bright ideas over the last century. Our trip from and to Cardiff Bay was in a Harrier rib with a 300hp Suzuki outboard and our “driver” was Bruce, who is a full-time Marine Police Officer, and No.1 fan of the boat-builder and…