Author: Robin Roberts

At first you may not see a similarity between San Francisco and Barry, South Wales but I’ve found a connection, they are both good places to test the Ford Mustang GT. With its burbling 5.0V8 underfoot a roadtest takes on a new aural significance and the town’s steeply sloping streets horizontally split by connecting roads really test the suspension  and the torque under the hood, sorry bonnet. The Mustang is available as Fastback coupe or convertible, both with four seats and 290ps, 317ps  and 440ps 2.3 4cyl engine and 416ps or 450ps 5.0V8 petrol engines, with six speed manual or…

Car sales have been built on the sheer variety of models available over the years and the expression ‘horses for courses’ explains the global success of the Skoda Superb, writes Robin Roberts. The first Superb models appeared 85 years ago and the modern models launched in 2001 as the Skoda flagship series and they have stayed at the top ever since. It’s easy to understand why when you look at the very recently restyled and refitted range now bursting with engineering and everyday technology from a comparatively cheap £24,655. The range of estate and hatchback models is truly enormous. There…

The first Aston Martin DBX five-seat SUV will roll off new production lines in South Wales in Spring 2020, writes Robin Roberts. Breaking new ground for the 106-year-old luxury British marque, the DBX was unveiled simultaneously in the Beijing, China motor show and in the £250M St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan assembly plant today. The DBX marks a significant step for Aston Martin as the first to be built outside its home plant of Gaydon, Warwickshire and the fourth model in the company’s Second Century Plan, conceived and implemented by AML president Dr Andy Palmer.  Dr Palmer said of the newcomer, “I…

The Citroen C5 Aircross replaces the smaller C4 and was designed, engineered and is marketed as a more sophisticated model for today’s market and that seems to have clicked with buyers. Just six months after its UK launch the C5 Aircross passed 50,000 unit sales, a remarkable achievement in a tough British market. In September 2019 when the British market contracted 2.5% over the first nine months, Citroen saw registrations improve 2.6% and 98% of models ordered were the higher two specification levels which helped the C5 Aircross to become Citroen’s second best seller in Britain. There are about a…

Whether that came before or after ABBA and IKEA is debatable and older generations may substitute SAAB somewhere, but the fact is Volvo has become more than a car brand, it’s a global representation of Sweden. And the Swedes tend to do things differently, their own way, with a particular style and flair which shows up very well in the second generation XC90. This seven-seat flagship for Volvo was launched in 2014 using a pioneering scaleable platform and it was updated in May 2019 to include the latest chassis and interior technologies to redefine Volvo’s place in the premium cars…

A Welsh company has restored a classic German sportswear to such a high standard it’s now gone on show at Mercedes-Benz world in the UK.  Mercedes-Benz World on the site of the famous Brooklands Race Track in Weybridge selected a Hemmels of Cardiff motorcar for display and the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL right-hand drive roadster, is prominently featured in the main reception area. The restoration was commissioned by a London-based private collector who chose to finish the car in Anthracite Grey with Red Interior. Now estimated at a value of £365,000, the restoration was undertaken at Hemmels’ bespoke facility in Cardiff…

Over the last few years it has become the best selling urban crossover model or compact suv with 1.5 million sold in 90 countries around the world. The Captur range extends to over 20 models with choices of diesel or petrol engines, manual or automatic transmissions, in five trim levels. In the UK it’s not been seen as the leader in its field but those who have bought them know it’s a very good package, well priced and particularly well equipped as well as comfortable. It’s eschewed sportiness for softness, speed for subtlety. Although the price range is officially from…

The term Sports Utility Vehicle is definitely over-used among car-makers, but Alfa has groomed a great car which ticks all the boxes for its enthusiastic drivers. Drawing on the engine expertise of sister-brand Ferrari and its own all-wheel-drive knowledge dating from the 1950s, Alfa has delivered a truly stunning individual and serious SUV in the Quadrifoglio – which incidentally is Italian for four-leafed clover. It’s tempting to describe the Quadrifoglio Q4 as a poor man’s Ferrari SUV 4×4, but that’s wrong on two counts: Ferrari has its own serious SUV coming and this Alfa SUV is not cheap. Owners can…

The Japanese owned company announced today that a downturn in orders will lead to a restructuring of its operations in Europe and manufacturing will be transferred to Hungary, where it’s closer to many customers, by 2021. It makes door and window parts and brake and clutch cables for cars at its plant on Baglan energy park and supplies Honda, Audi, Ford and BMW among others and employs 125 people at the moment and does not anticipate making any redundancies inside a year. A statement issued by the company said the decision had been taken following a meeting at the parent…

A fresh look at problems along the M4 through Newport has been promised by the Welsh Government’s South East Wales Transport Commission. It was created after First Minister Mark Drakeford vetoed a new motorway south of the south east Wales city to relieve congestion on the current M4 through the Brynglas Tunnels. In a scoping document today (wed 16 Oct 2019), Lord Burns, Chair of the South East Wales Transport Commission, said, “A high-quality and efficient transport network helps people widen their lives – getting to work, school, hospital or places of leisure. “There is clearly an acute transport problem…