IT’S been a struggle – a struggle going on for some three decades – but it looks like Jaguar might at last have come up with something capable of taking on the seried ranks of Johnny Boch.

For too long the Germans have held sway in the battle for sales in the premium sector. And rightly so. You can’t argue against the quality of the cars Audi, Mercedes and BMW line up for your approval.

But now they’ve got a bit of opposition from a car built here in the UK and spouting Land of Hope and Glory from its shiny exhaust pipes.

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I ONCE described the Toyota Avensis as the Labrador of the motoring world – trustworthy, a loyal companion and eager to please.

Now, thanks to a bit of cross breeding and a healthy diet that has trimmed it up and altered its appearance, it now has the hallmarks of a Crufts champion in the making.

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A BUDGIE with no beak sucks seeds, and Kia’s cee’d succeeds in being a very good all round car with that impressive seven year Kia warranty.

Now it’s got even better.

My favourite car from a far east manufacturer (yes, I’m aware it’s built in Europe) by quite some margin successfully marries up sporty looks with a reasonable price tag and real world economy and running costs in its new 1.0 form.

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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.

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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…..

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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