Author: Robin Roberts

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…

Honda has just raised its game in the burgeoning Battery Electric Vehicle battle in Britain. Earlier this year it rolled out its family focussed e:Ny1 in two trim levels. The Elegance opens the range from just under £40,000 and comes with heated front seats and 15.1-inch infotainment screen while for just over £2,000 more the Advance version gains a heated steering wheel, parking system and large glass sunroof. Now, Honda has updated the retail offer for the e:Ny1 electric vehicle whether leasing or buying on HP through Honda finance before the end of September 2024. The e:Ny1 can now be…

The UK new car market has hit the half year million motors mark for the first time in five years, after new car registrations rose in June by a modest 1.1% to reach 179,263 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. As a result, so far in 2024, 1,006,763 new cars have been registered, up 6.0% on the previous year but still down -20.7% on 2019. June’s market growth was driven primarily by the fleet sector, where uptake rose by 14.2%, while private retail demand fell for the ninth consecutive month, down -15.3%. Retail buyers accounted for fewer than four…

Subaru has one of the smallest model ranges on sale in Britain, but arguably it is also one of the best. After building a reputation on performance in the World Rally Championship, Subaru has since focused on active leisure and lifestyle buyers and now is exclusively a four-wheel-drive producer. Early in 2024, the new Subaru Crosstrek replaced the venerable XV model in the brand’s UK range alongside the Forester, Outback and Solterra BEV and is available in Limited and Touring trim levels with prices starting at £34,345 and going up to £36,345 for the range-topping Touring variant, the version we…

The latest Audi Q4 e-tron is proof that you can get more than you expect, even in today’s cut-throat and complex car market. When originally launched in March 2021 it was the fourth fully electric model in the brand’s e-tron series but it’s undergone continuous improvement and towards the end of 2023 it was boosted with a bigger battery and significant suspension and equipment changes to enhance driver appeal and practicality. It’s worked very well. Built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform which permits adaptation to a variety of body shapes, sizes and powertrains, the Q4 e-tron is a mid-size…

Sometimes, the simple things in life please the most and that’s certainly the case with the Mazda MX-5. The classic yet modern sports two-seater is straightforward, front-engine and rear-wheel-drive engineering, but underneath it embodies some of the latest technology to make owning, driving and enjoying the open-air experience in safety and, when the sun’s not shining, in sophisticated style with a snuggly fitting roof. Earlier this year Mazda unveiled the current range. The eight models features four Roadster and four RF models with a choice of Prime-Line, Exclusive-Line and Homura trim grades. Prime-Line cars are powered by the 132ps 1.5-litre…

Lexus has returned to the compact executive market with its LBX petrol hybrid, and it’s anticipated to be a big player for them in the UK. The prestige brand’s first foray into the smaller executive sector was just before the new millennium when it introduced the IS200 series. That was based on a highly successful Toyota Altezza and this time around the LBX is derived from the Toyota Yaris Cross, but with some neat Lexus features you’d rightly expect to raise its game against rivals. There is a very wide 11 model LBX range from Urban at almost £30,000, through…

“Covid cars” – models made during the pandemic with irregular specifications – are causing valuation issues as they start to appear on the used market, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. Marcus Blakemore, chair of the trade body’s Industry Trends Committee, said that dealers and traders were buying cars expecting them to meet certain equipment and specification levels, then finding key items are missing. “During the initial stages of the pandemic, there was massive supply chain disruption, especially around availability of microprocessors. As a result, manufacturers improvised on the production line, removing key items just to keep things moving. “Depending on…

The green flash on UK number plates is going to appear on more pure battery vehicles cars this year than ever before and some of the cars behind the plates are not run of the mill models but bursting with performance. potential. British motorists can enjoy more battery electric vehicle choice today than ever before, with 29.3% of models on the new car market available as zero emission, according to new analysis by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. There are now some 102 battery electric models to choose from, up from just 16 in 2014, demonstrating the massive…