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.
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.
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.
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.
IT might have a name that makes it sound like a salad ingredient, but in reality there’s a bit more meat to the Suzuki Celerio.
For starters there’s its new Dualjet engine that makes it the cleanest and most fuel efficient new car on sale under 10 grand. A lot under that figure in fact, as you can buy one for just £8499.
And for that you get a compact car that has a decent amount of interior space, making it a worthwhile option for round town family usage and beyond.
IS there really any car that can be the master of all normal roadgoing situations?
One that can close the gap between performance and caring for the environment at the same time? Be fun to drive but leave you with a big smug grin on your chops because you’re also doing your bit for the general wellbeing of the planet?
Here’s one. It might look like any other Volkswagen Golf at a quick glance, and it’s as smart inside as any Golf has been in the past. Only it’s a bit different when you lift the bonnet.
IT’S been one of Britain’s best selling cars for yonks and quite how it’s managed it is beyond me.
Cutesy looks are fine but when the engine under the bonnet is wheezier than a fat lad on a school cross country run you begin to question the wisdom of those buying it.
But now, thankfully, there’s been a ‘hallelujah’ moment at Vauxhall and the Corsa now has a small engine that does the business.
HONDA might be suffering a touch on their return to the Formula One fold, but when it comes to road cars they appear to be in pole position.
2015 is going to be a big year for the Japanese manufacturer. As well as the just revealed new Civic and CR-V models, Jazz and HRV also get serious revisions in 2015, so it’s a fair assumption that things are going to get pretty busy down in Swindon, Honda’s UK manufacturing plant that has just had a £200 million investment.
STICK ‘COD’ in the name of a car and you can be forgiven for thinking there’s something fishy going on…
But when it comes to VW Group products the abbreviation has its plaice (sorry…)
I’ll stop carping on and explain that Cylinder On Demand (COD) is the rising star of the latest refettled Audi Q3 range, now on sale.
SKODA’S latest Fabia is proof, if it were needed, that you really can have your cake and eat it.
Their recipe for success is building a car that’s one of the best value for money machines in its class.
Although some might question whether the Fabia is really a supermini, because there’s not a lot miniscule about its dimensions.