Author: Robin Roberts

Jeep’s landmark position in the off-road sector is now joined by the Renegade’s claim to fame as the first of the brand’s electric models. The Renegade was a defining vehicle for the brand being the first Jeep model to be made outside the US as it’s assembled in Italy, Brazil and China from 2015. Now it’s reached another high point and more Jeep models will become hybrids over successive years. Although based on the platform under the Fiat 500X and 500L models, which are also part of the Stellantis parent company, it has been developed in true Jeep fashion and…

One of the world’s leading technology companies has stepped in to boost plans to build hydrogen vehicles in Wales for global sale. Siemens UK has signed a memorandum of understanding with Riversimple, of Llandrindod Wells to make their Rasa car and a local delivery van. The car is already being prepared for trials with 12 drivers living in Abergavenny and the Welsh company installed a hydrogen filling station for them to use free of charge. Riversimple is in the process of raising £150M over the next three years to go into mass production with the car appearing in two years…

Pressure is mounting for new car prices to be slashed after sales plunged to their lowest for 50 years in January. Buyers who cannot visit showrooms during lockdown and who are concerned about jobs and income have put the brakes on business and now manufactuers face fines if they cannot reduce their fleet average this autumn. More sales have moved on-line and the industry and trade expect this to continue even when lockdown ends, possibly before March, but it will come too late to help the traditionally highest selling month when the new 21-number plate is released. Dealers offering the…

Welsh motorists are still getting some of the cheapest fuel in Britain. The average price of petrol shot up by 3.5p to 120p a litre in January – a price last seen the day before the first Covid-19 lockdown on 22 March 2020 and the third consecutive monthly increase, said RAC Fuel Watch. Diesel also went up by more than 3p a litre from 120.05p to 123.43p (3.38p), making for the second rise in as many months. Both fuels, however, are still around 7p a litre cheaper than they were a year ago. At these prices a full 55-litre tank…

There’re new supercars coming out of Wales with familiar faces, writes Robin Roberts. After the launch of the Aston Martin DBX from its new state of the art St Athan factory in South Wales last year, altogether different cars are being built in a small industrial unit in North Wales. While the luxurious £158,000 SUV is wowing the world’s richest owners, the buyers of the latest Welsh supercars are even more discerning but must also be wealthy. MST Cars, Pwllheli has recreated the famous 1970s’ Ford Escorts Mk1 and Mk2 models. The business was founded over 100 years ago in…

The Nissan X-Trail has been a long-lived and much loved member of the Japanese family, sitting above the smaller Qashqai SUV with which it shares many components and technology. Launched in 2001 as a tough dual purpose 4×4 alternative to the bigger and heavier Patrol 4×4, the X-Trail has gone through three generations and it cannot be too long before it is again revised or replaced, possibly with a platform from the sister company Renault or as a new model for both brands. Nissan has a lot of faith in its X-Trail series and as if to underline that belief…

Welsh Government and TVR will begin work on its Ebbw Vale factory renovation and enhancement programme in mid-January, writes Robin Roberts. Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd has been awarded the principal contract for works including replacement of the main building’s roof, the recladding of the building, extensive groundworks and also preparation of a prototype build area at the side of the intended main production area. Les Edgar, Chairman of TVR said, “This is a fantastic milestone in our mission to rejuvenate an iconic British brand, and we are all tremendously excited to witness the renovation of our new home in Ebbw…

The UK new car market fell by almost a third (-29.4%) in 2020, with annual registrations dropping to 1,631,064 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A -10.9% decline in December wrapped up a turbulent 12 months, which saw demand fall by 680,076 units to the lowest level of registrations since 1992. Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of the end of sale date for petrol and diesel cars to 2030 and Brexit uncertainty, the industry suffered a total turnover loss of some £20.4 billion, and that has further implications of the Exchequer with lost…

The UK new car market fell by almost a third (-29.4%) in 2020, with annual registrations dropping to 1,631,064 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A -10.9% decline in December wrapped up a turbulent 12 months, which saw demand fall by 680,076 units to the lowest level of registrations since 1992. Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of the end of sale date for petrol and diesel cars to 2030 and Brexit uncertainty, the industry suffered a total turnover loss of some £20.4 billion, and that has further implications of the Exchequer with lost…

Aston Martin is a survivor in a world of hard knocks and is looking for a smoother ride with their latest DBX sports utility vehicle, writes Robin Roberts. After 100 years of making some of the most sought after sports cars in the world it has applied its knowledge to what it sees as a family car, albeit for a well off family. Keen to blend practicality with performance and panache, there are very few rivals. It entered the market in 2020 against the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus with little else to touch it except for the most expensive…