Author: Robin Roberts

The big SUV Q7 has been a hallmark for families with its seven-seat configuration but the new mild-hybrid 3.0 TFSI petrol version just tested punches out more power and gives passengers more space by fitting just five seats. It’s always been debatable whether a cramped seven-seater was really desirable and how valuable it would be, so Audi has reset the reasoning with their latest quattro go-anywhere model. There is a tight range of Audi Q7 models, the 45 TDI diesel produces 228 bhp and 500Nm of torque and 50 TDI models produce 282 bhp and 600Nm of torque, while the…

One guide to choosing a good car is looking at what police, ambulance and taxi companies use because they are on the road 24/7 and one of the most prolific of vehicles you’ll see is the Skoda Octavia Estate. Without being whincingly expensive to buy and run they fulfill their roles and deliver mile after mile, year after year. For me that’s a good advertisement and testament to the Octavia Estate. Now in its fourth generation on sale, the familiar shape of the estate and stablemate hatch hide an evolution in powertrains, interior design and specification. There is a big…

BMW has never been afraid to go out on limb when it comes to models or styling and it’s generally worked in its favour like it should with the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Announced at the end of 2019 and with a UK launch delayed in March by the Coronavirus epidemic, the newcomer is just getting out to customers. After the 6, 4 and then 8 Series Gran Coupe models, this completes their line up and as the baby in the range it is developed from the latest FARR platform underpinning the more familiar 2 Series and X2 as well.…

The latest third-generation Mitsubishi ASX is now better able to take on rivals than the immediately preceding products with its bolder styling, well revised and updated interior and cutting edge convenient technology. For 2020, Mitsubishi fitted a more powerful 150hp 2.0 litre petrol engine and choice of five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with a welcome return to an all-wheel-drive derivative bringing it into line with the rest of the company’s models. Interestingly, depending on which set of emission test figures you want to use, the ASX Auto has widely different pollution outputs but the Auto is definitely two insurance…

Jaguar Land Rover is moving its petrol V8 engine line from the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant to its in-house power centre at Wolverhampton. Workers at the South Wales engine plant closing at the end of September, have been building buffer stocks of the V8 engines to continue supplies to the luxury car maker until it can resume production in the West Midlands. Ford Bridgend has been building the Jaguar Land Rover V6 and V8 engines since the early 1990s when the company owned the prestige brands. In September 2016 the plant’s 20 Millionth power unit was a Jaguar engine and…

Some car-makers shout about their success in your face but the all-new Subaru Forester 2.0XE Premium Lineartronic actually watches your face. Facial recognition is fitted to the instruments to ensure the driver’s eyes concentrate on the road ahead and this combined with a suite of safety features using exterior cameras and sensors to keep the car on course and out of danger has won it much praise and a few awards. The acclamation for the Forester continues with its electrically assisted four-wheel-drivetrain and roadholding as well as its general fresh approach to the modern SUV concept. Because Subaru is really…

The official supporter of the Welsh Rugby Union has gone for the niche serious off-road and utility market with its 23-strong range of mostly double-cab but also a solo single cab and extended cab models. Isuzu dealers sell Business, All-purpose and Adventure Pickup ranges from £20,832 to £43,921. It’s a very defined and targetted range which also caters to true outdoor adventurers and country dwellers and not the weekend cottage set. Our DMax XTR test model sits between the practical and the extreme off-roaders. It’s very much a back to basics turbo-diesel of modest capacity but big ability nevertheless, thanks…

Tens of thousands of jobs are likely to disappear from the UK automotive sector before the end of the year. Some 11,349 jobs so far axed following lockdown will grow and despite this week’s 11% rise in new car registrations the outlook is bleak. That’s because the first upturn in showroom sales came at the end of three months when all showrooms were in lockdown and there was a lot of pent up demand. “The next few weeks will be crucial in showing whether or not we are on the road to recovery, ” said a concerned Mike Hawes, CEO…

The world’s best selling car and most successful British-built, the Toyota Corolla, goes from strength to strength. Toyota has been building cars in Britain since 1992 when the Burnaston, Derby factory came on stream as Toyota’s first manufacturing centre in Europe. In June it assembled its 4.5M model, a Corolla Hatchback to add to the over 46M Corolla models built worldwide since 1966, including 850,000 built in Britain over three decades. The Corolla name returned to the Toyota lineup for the 12th generation and replaced the Auris. Toyota’s world leading production system is held up as an example throughout all…

Car enthusiasts are getting a once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy a unique one-off four-year-old British sports car, and it could cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Bristol Bullet roadster is among items being disposed of by joint liquidators of Bristol Cars, which folded earlier this year. Bristol Cars was formed in 1945 as an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company with a sole showroom in London close to Olympia Hall. A low volume car maker for enthusiasts, just 22 staff were employed and recorded on its books at Filton, Bristol when it suspended production in March 2011. It was…