Author: Robin Roberts

The motor trade and industry has had a bad year, but you’d not know it from sales of Kia models including their big seven-seat Sorento SUV. While rivals have rushed to shrink their ranges and look only towards pure electric models which we know are coming over the decade, Kia has slowly and very carefully tweaked its line up so they still offer potentially something for every customer who walks into a showroom or surfs the internet. Petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery models are dotted throughout one of the biggest model ranges of any manufacturer. Change is around…

October saw another month of contraction in the new car market, a concerning trend following August’s end to two years of continuous growth. This decline is particularly worrying, as it highlights the volatility of the market right now, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association. UK new car buyers now have more than 125 different BEV models to choose from – an uplift of 38% over the last 10 months.1 While it remains the case that the average BEV has a higher upfront cost than an ICE equivalent, widening choice and huge manufacturer discounting mean that around…

Seat has earned its place as the stylish brand for a younger generation of drivers over the last four decades. On sale since 2017, the Seat Arona is one of the new generation of ‘crossover’ models or tall hatchbacks in the B-sector and the smallest in their sub-compact range under the Ateca. Its introduction has helped Seat pass the magic million mark for SUVs and Arona sales have taken a hefty 500,000 in seven years, more than the slightly bigger Ateca and is their best selling model by far. This year saw the introduction of only the second generation Arona…

After its launch in 2008, the Ford Kuga has grown from the company’s first ‘tall’ hatchback into one of their success stories among UK best sellers, and the story continues this year. Now on sale with some very significant updates and improvements to its technology, equipment and design, the Ford Kuga is taking on rivals including many in the showrooms of more premium brands. Diesel engines have been dropped while the plug-in hybrid has been joined by a reworked mild-hybrid to meet the needs of particular buyers who would struggle to have a charging point at their home or office.…

On the 70th anniversary of the founding of their business, KG is celebrating with the launch of their Torres model for today’s 2024 market. Now KG Motors mayn’t be familiar to everyone but acquired the struggling SsangYong Motors, which is undoubtedly better known and respected among owners. The cars are built in Pyeongtaek, about an hour’s drive south of Seoul, capital of South Korea. There are Torres K30, K40 and K40AWD models in the range with an electric model as well and a hybrid coming in 2025. The petrol models share a 1.5 engine and all come with 6sp Aisin…

It’s a delicate balance building cars for the masses, for markets around the world and meeting the needs of motorists with a love of motorsports, but Toyota does all three very well. The new GR86 is a very good example of bringing motorsport engineering into the mainstream, well almost. It has been developed from the earlier GT86, which used a 2.0 litre flat-four cylinder engine but has now been replaced with a more powerful, stronger and sportier near 2.4 litre power unit. There are just two versions, the 6sp manual from £30,140 or the 6sp automatic costing £32,230. About 1,500…

Better late than never is probably what you can say about the impressive Toyota RAV4 PHEV. We have always been fans of the Toyota RAV4 but when it launched the petrol-hybrid in 2016 we bemoaned the fact there was no plug-in derivative to improve emissions when other manufacturers were putting them into showrooms. So, Toyota has been slow to roll out its PHEV RAV4, but it has wisely used the eight years and come up with what is probably the best of this type. It is very eco-friendly, starting in ev mode every time and has a 46 miles battery…

Skoda is emerging as a serious family and business car contender on UK roads, particularly after its extensive facelift and revisions earlier this year. Previously, many looked at Skoda only after discounting the higher priced alternatives in its sector but it has elbowed and shouldered its way to the front, propelled by a value for money philosophy. This Spring, Skoda gave its popular Scala hatchback and Kamiq SUV stablemate a significant redesign both inside and out, added some extra equipment and streamlined the powertrain choices in its three-trim levels. Out went the diesel it had used for years and instead…

Britons are turning off battery cars and looking at hybrids, according to the latest July car registrations. Now concern is mounting among car-makers that they will be hit with big penalties for failing to hit UK Government mandated 22% of BEV sales this year. Manufacturers and dealers are likely to be offering incredible leasing and HP deals to businesses and private buyers to move more electric cars and avoid the penalties of thousands of pounds for every model which is not BEV  powered. Next month is another plate change to the 74 prefix and incentives could be added on top…

Twenty-one years after its launch the latest Kia Sorento seven seat SUV has been taking design cues from its new all-electric stablemate, the EV9. Unlike the BEV, the Sorento is available in three grades in the UK: ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ with the choice of 190 bhp 2.2-litre common-rail diesel, 212 bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged-petrol hybrid (HEV), or a 249bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged-petrol plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The HEV and PHEV Sorento variants are equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, while diesel models receive an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. New Sorento starts from £41,995 in the UK, £3,030 less than the outgoing model, and rises…