JAMES Brown had soul. Motown had soul – by the warehouseful. And Kia’s got Soul, in the shape of their updated compact SUV crossover.
And they’ve also cornered the market in buttons. I don’t think I’ve ever counted so many inside a car.
For the record, there are 16 alone on the steering wheel, five each on either side of the big sat nav screen plus a couple of knobs, and another 10 plush one big control knob for the heating and ventilation.
TWO’S company, three’s a crowd – but not necessarily when you’re talking about a smart little city car.
It was something like nine years ago when the French, in the shape of Citroen and Peugeot, teamed up with the Japanese (Toyota) to produce a small car for Europe.
Now, building on the success of the trio the link up spawned, they’re having another pop at it.
AUDI certainly came up with the right name to sum up its new super clean A6.
Ultra pretty well says it all – ultra smart, ultra efficient, ultra comfortable and ultra desirable, all on one.
The A6 has been one of the staples of the business sector for some time, but was possibly in danger of being overlooked with competition fierce for sales.
NOT one; not two; not even three or four. The ubiquitous Volkswagen Golf is now available with a choice of no less than FIVE power sources.
True, they’ve not all arrived yet (the plug-in hybrid GTE arrives next year) but the pure electric e-Golf is here now, and whispering its way around a street near you.
THERE was a time when small was scoffed at – but not any more.
The SEAT Leon we have for family motoring has a modest 1.2 litre turbocharged engine – but time and again it proves the Doubting Thomases wrong with its ability to combine acceptable performance with good economy and low running costs. A great family car.
IF ever there was a car that gave a manufacturer an instant hike in the credibility stakes it’s the Peugeot RCZ.
No disrespect intended, and hopefully none taken, but while Peugeot produce a worthy range of cars to suit all sizes, tastes and needs, there was no real stand-out product. Until RCZ came along in 2010.
It’s fair to say it’s been a hit for the French manufacturer. And now it’s got a racy engine to go with its sleek,racy looks.
VAUXHALL’S innovative Meriva MPV has got itself a new Euro-6 diesel engine to cart around its legions of fans.
And as well as the power under the bonnet, Meriva’s had a stylish update to its looks.
THIS week we find ourselves at the wheel of a car not dissimilar to one locking bumpers with the rest in the British Touring Car Championship.
Only this is a touring car in the true sense of the genre, in that it’s what we older drivers used to term an estate car.
ALMOST invincible on the F1 tracks of the world at this moment in time, Mercedes-Benz are attempting to make it ‘Deutschland Uber Alles’ in the showrooms too.
So much so that the latest epithet attached to one of their cars is ‘the best of an S Class for the price of a C Class.’ That’s the beauty – and the attraction – of the latest addition to the range.
SIT behind the steering wheel of the all new Mazda3 and you’re immediately confronted by a problem. And that is, how to start the thing up.
You’ve got the key, but there’s no ignition barrel to slot it in. So you scratch your head, look around and then realise that lurking directly behind the stubby indicator stalk – and thus out of sight – is the start/stop button.
And you’re left thinking ‘if they can build what is otherwise a very fine car, one that’s already proving a hit, why did they do that?’