THP 270. Remember that figure because it’s highly relevant here. That’s the horsepower Peugeot Sport have managed to coax out of the modest 1.6 litre engine under the bonnet of their 308 GTi.

A car that – with its two tone paintwork – looks like something for the boy racers out there to be dribbling over.

Well, it is, and it isn’t. They’d all like to get their backsides into the drivers seat, but I seriously doubt they’d have the skill/experience/cojones required to adequately control all those horses if their Nike Air Max is too heavy on the loud pedal.

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IN a world where downsizing seems to be the norm these days, Vauxhall have, as they’re entitled to do, gone completely in the other direction.

In an attempt to occupy as much tarmac as they can with their latest Insignia Grand Sport, they’ve made it almost the equivalent size of the also rather large Mercedes-Benz E Class.

Now obviously there’s a kudos/snob value thing at work here.

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IN a world where retro is cool, a few years ago Fiat brought back to life a car that they originally unleashed back in 1957.

It still has its cutesy looks, and if you’ve never experienced the original it doesn’t look a lot bigger. But it is.

Compare old and new side by side and the difference is startling, even though the 500 circa 2017 is a small city car.

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PEOPLE all over the place are suddenly waking up and rubbing their eyes in disbelief – Nissan have made a Micra they’ll be queueing up to buy.

The rather staid and workmanlike versions of latter years have given way to one that has definitely been eating its Shredded Wheat in big bowlfuls, and morphed into a shape that is the polar opposite of the car it replaces.

At the risk of alienating all those motorists who drive the old Micra with a travel rug on their front seat passenger’s knees, this might be a step too far for you.

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BACK in the day when the driving examiner put a tick in the box that said I was safe to take to the Queen’s highways on my own, entry level cars – or poverty-spec as they were sometimes known – were about as luxurious as a cave.

But not any more, The car under scrutiny here, Kia’s three cylinder 1.0 Picanto 2 (actually one up from the bottom step of the ladder) might be down in the £10k price range, but there’s a reassuring amount of comfort to be had for your money.

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LIKE an iceberg, the Audi Q5 is not so much about what you can see, but what lurks beneath.

Here is a car with a lot of high end electronic trickery – you’ve all seen the cinema and TV ad, and probably though ‘how can they do all that?

Well. They can.

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FROM the mountains of Morocco to the leafy woods of rural Buckinghamshire – the Renault Koleos has come a long way.

No longer just another anonymous SUV, the Regie’s latest D sector challenger offers much more than before.

It’s Renault’s D segment SUV in a lineup that includes Scenic and Kadjar competing for sales in what is the fastest growing market worldwide.

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THERE’S not a lot that beats that smug, self-satisfied feeling when you know you’ve made absolutely the right decision.

The knowledge that the car you’re going to be driving for the foreseeable future and writing about regularly ticks all the boxes you set out is a rewarding moment.

The arrival of SEAT’s multi award winning Ateca in 1.4 EcoTSi guise with a smattering of seven speed DSG box to test was one of those moments.

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NISSAN’S Juke is a car that stands out from the crowd in any scenario – and that’s before you throw a few litres of retina-detaching bright yellow paint at it.

They even made sure the windows were open, because it’s got a custard coloured coating inside too.

Those quirky looks in its compact chunky body have made it a popular choice for those motorists who stray from the conventional. And there must be a lot of them about, because there are a lot of Jukes about too.

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SWIFT by name and certainly swift by nature – Suzuki’s latest incarnation of their popular compact supermini proves that yet again they’ve still got the handle on making decent small cars.

It’s lighter, more powerful and more fuel efficient than the model it replaces, yet some have criticized Suzuki for losing their way and dubbing the Swift a shadow if its former self.

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