ANYONE who bought a Suzuki Vitara when it was launched 27 years ago will be rubbing their eyes in disbelief at how much the latest wearer of the badge has changed.
Suzuki’s global compact SUV still keeps things in manageable proportions, but it’s grown beyond all recognition from the model that was instantly recognisable in some circles for its huge wheel arches, even huger wheels – and not a lot else.
Category Archives: What’s new
JEEP CHEROKEE 2.2: giving customers what they asked for….
THOSE of us with long memories will possibly think of American GIs smoking huge cee-gars and hanging onto the top of the windscreen for dear life at the mention of the word Jeep.
It was the practical, utilitarian vehicle of the 1940s that helped to rout Johnny Boch and help win the second world war for the Allies. A brand that gave us – and the Germans – the WW2 Willys…..
KIA SORENTO: a vast behind, as they say in nautical circles
FANCY a nice relaxing trip to Sorento? It’s not as far as you might think.
Languishing behind the plate glass window of your nearest Kia dealer stands fair and square – and tall – the brand flagship in the UK.
Flagship is actually an appropriate analogy, as it is a big, commanding beast.
FORD MONDEO: it gives you an extra pair of hands
THE late Benny Hill used to like them big. So his ideal car, were he still alive and looking for one today, might well be Ford’s latest Mondeo.
It’s a piece of motoring hugeness the like of which the blue oval was formerly renowned for, a car whose body seems to go on and on long after you pass the rear wheels.
Consequently it’s got a boot the size of a builders skip, a rear cabin where no one feels in any way cramped, and it ably takes over the baton as Ford’s big family car.
AUDI TT ROADSTER: a great car made greater
EVERY car has a beating heart – and none more so than Audi’s latest TT.
It’s a car that has been successively honed and improved since its debut in 1999 as a real jaw dropper – so much so that there was a hefty trade in left hand drive models from abroad for those who couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.
And now, when you switch off and prepare to leave what is one of the finest cabins around, the silence is broken by a trademark heartbeat sound as everything powers down – ready for your next foray behind the wheel.
SEAT LEON X-PERIENCE: A step up from your average….
A DECADE ago, the thought of spending over £30,000 on a SEAT estate car would probably have seen you laughed out of the pub.
But now that pipedream has become a reality with the new Leon X-PERIENCE, a four wheel drive version of their smart ST, a car that is roomy, practical, a good drive and reasonably cheap to run.
So adding four-wheel drive makes it an even better proposition for those living in parts of the country that are a bit wet/muddy/slippy/slidey in winter. As well as offering a bit more on-road reassurance for the rest of the year.
FORD FOCUS: motoring in miniature
IF you saw the engine block of Ford’s 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine stripped of its bits, it would sit fair and square on a piece of A4 paper.
Were you so minded, you could take it on holiday with you as it would fit in the overhead locker on a plane.
Motoring in miniature then, but not in reality when it comes to its power output.
PEUGEOT 308 SW GT LINE: more proof that size isn’t everything….
TAKE a look at the picture above, consider the overall size and dimensions of the car and then take a wild stab at the engine size. Two litre diesel? 1.6 diesel?
Wrong. Under the bonnet of one of the neatest machines to arrive on the drive in recent months is just 1198cc of propulsion. And despite the fact its also mated to an automatic gearbox, it works. And works well.
The motor industry is having a pretty good stab at proving size isn’t everything, and Peugeot’s 308 SW – sampled here in its new GT Line trim – makes a strong statement before the house as a car that’s got the lot.
AUDI RS3 SPORTBACK: a slice of supercar performance for a fraction of the price
CONSIDER the fact that Audi’s new RS3 Sportback has an engine that is barely longer than your average loaf of bread and you might be left thinking that it’s a slice short of a full wholemeal.
But that’s about as far wide of the truth as a claim that the mice are jumping on the traps because mother-in-law is coming to stay.
The clue’s in the title. RS. Two letters that sum up the importance to Audi of having products that are the pinnacle of their product range.
VAUXHALL VIVA: same value for money mindset as one they made earlier….
IN true Blue Peter style, Vauxhall could have been saying ‘here’s one we made earlier’ when the wraps came off the all new VIVA at the UK launch.
For alongside it was the 1960s HA Viva, a car with the same value for money mindset that got many of us on the road all those years ago.
Thankfully the quality has improved immeasurably, and the revival of the name means Vauxhall now has a trio of offerings in the small car sector, the VIVA lining up alongside the Corsa and Adam.