Author Archives: Rob Auchterlonie

SUZUKI e VITARA ULTRA: the first of the four

THE all electric version of Suzuki’s Vitara is the first of a quartet of battery electric vehicles (BEV) from the Japanese manufacturer in the next few years.

The brand has very much built its sales base on loyalty – seven out of 10 customers are those buying another Suzuki, which says a lot about brand satisfaction. The aim for e Vitara is for it to be responsible for a third of all future sales. Continue reading

GEELY STARRAY EM-i: a Chinese takeaway to savour

IF you’re in the market for a Chinese takeaway you could do worse than looking at Geely’s current menu.

For as well as owning Volvo, Lotus, Polestar, smart (in part with Mercedes) and Zeekr (which you can’t buy here yet) they’re also into making cars with their own name on the back. Continue reading

What an experience! Coming to a museum near you

FOR the first time in the UK, the unique world of Forza Horizon is stepping off the screen and into the real home of British motoring.

The British Motor Museum has announced the launch of Forza Horizon 6 The Experience, a bold new exhibition, running from May to the end of November, where digital car culture meets real-world motoring, created in partnership with the critically acclaimed Midlands-based developers of the Forza Horizon series, Playground Games.

As with every Forza Horizon game, players are participants of a ‘Horizon Festival,’ a celebration of cars and music taking place at various locations around the world. Continue reading

FORD CAPRI: will bigger electric SUV become another classic?

IF they ever did an up-to-date remake of `Only Fools and Horses’ the opening scene would have Del Boy scratching his head.

“What have they done with my Capri Ghia, Rodders ?” He might say. For a modern day Capri bears absolutely no resemblance to the sleek coupe of the 70s and 80s that we all loved. Continue reading

KGM ACTYON K50 HYBRID: more choice for a piece of the action

LAST year there was just the one – now KGM have doubled the choice if you’re considering their rather smart Actyon SUV.

As well as the launch model’s 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine, you’ve now got the option of a dual tech 130 kW hybrid system, coupling that petrol unit with a responsive electric motor, which should boost its appeal to business users.  Continue reading

KIA EV4 GT-Line: hatchback looks will win it friends

HERE’s a refreshing change from a world filled with electric crossover SUVs – it’s one that actually looks like a good old fashioned hatchback.

Kia’s first electric hatchback is also their first fully electric vehicle to be built in Europe.

And it’s hugely impressive. If I had to rate it then it would be up there as probably the very best EV driven in the past few months.  Continue reading

NISSAN QASHQAI N-DESIGN e-POWER: still the go-to Nissan SUV

Nissan Qashqai n

NO disrespect intended, but when Nissan’s new SUV was first launched back in 2007, many wondered whether naming a car after a desert dwelling nomadic tribe from South West Iran would guarantee sales in Europe?

Nissan obviously thought and hoped so, because that’s where the name for their then-quirky looking Qashqai came from. Continue reading

GENESIS GV70 PURE: electrification produces a top quality SUV

IF you’re hunting for a premium electric SUV are you likely to make a Korea choice?

Genesis is a luxury offshoot of Hyundai, (in the same way Lexus is to Toyota) and models have been on sale in the US and South Korea for a wee while, so it’s not their first attempt at making luxury cars.  Continue reading

Thanks – but no thanks

A special message from me to all those of you with spurious names offering your services to sort out my website, and who keep filling up my email basket with your indignant calls of ‘I’m still waiting for a reply’, please see my reply below.

I AIN’T INTERESTED. So bugger off and annoy someone else!!