Author: Robin Roberts

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…

One of Britain’s most eagerly awaited new models hits showrooms on Monday and it’s almost certainly going to lead to a “brown market” price war. The Suzuki Jimny LCV will be limited to about 400 sales this year and they are expected to be snapped up even more quickly than the Jimny lightweight 4×4 SUV two years ago. Priced from about £16,700 before VAT as a commercial vehicle the Jimny LCV will retail at just over £20,000 but expect to pay more unless you’ve already got an order in. Thousands of Jimny lovers were frustrated when Suzuki had to cut…

Headturning, big, quick and possessing some of the most wonderful exhaust notes you can hear on the road, it’s very imposing. It’s a very big step up from the ultra low sports cars usually associated with the brand and an even bigger jump from the agricultural vehicles which Lamborghini started making in 1948 before switching to sports cars to rival Ferrari in the mid-1960s. Ironically, Ferrari is now developing its own SUV. The subject of this roadtest, the Lamborghini Urus is named after the enormous cattle which roamed across Europe thousands of years ago and which happens to perfectly fit…

GT is a very overused abbreviation but fully justified as a suffix to the Bentley Continental, writes Robin Roberts. This 191-inch long two-door coupe oozes ability to cover immense distances without complaint and cocooned in complete luxury; the original Grand Tourer for the wealthiest of owners. Of course, such excellence does not come cheap and today’s Bentley Continental GT maintains an air of aristocracy with its ability and a price to match. The Continental series accounts for 40% of Bentley sales, 60% of them are the V8 and just under a third go to America, the company’s biggest market for…

Style and sophistication are embodied in the practical and purposeful Jaguar XF Sportbrake and a serious alternative to SUVs. Introduced in 2017 to widen the appeal of the medium sized XF saloon it sits alongside the now expanding range of Jaguar SUVs and offers a different driving proposition for those who want room but also require a more compact car. The XF series is a huge range based on saloon or estate body-styles and six trim levels available with rear wheel or all wheel drive transmissions. Engines come as 250 and 300ps petrol or 200ps diesel units and prices range…