PEUGEOT 308 SW GT LINE: more proof that size isn’t everything….

308_GT-LINE_066TAKE 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.

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AUDI RS3 SPORTBACK: a slice of supercar performance for a fraction of the price

rs3 1CONSIDER 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.

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VAUXHALL VIVA: same value for money mindset as one they made earlier….

DLF_5356IN 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.

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SUZUKI CELERIO: Japanese giant dons a clean image….

celerio 1IT 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.

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VW GOLF GTE: So capable, so well built, so ‘of the moment….’.

GTE 5IS 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.

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VAUXHALL CORSA: there’s been a hallelujah moment….

Vauxhall Corsa 3 DoorIT’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.

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CITROEN C4 CACTUS: nothing run-of-the-mill here…

cactus 5WHEN they set out to do something a bit different you can’t say Citroen don’t come up trumps.

The Picasso was a case in point. Probably the most aesthetically challenged MPV to hit the roads, it became an undoubted hit for Pierre and his pals.

Daring to be different, they seem to have another winner with their C4 Cactus – the wacky offspring of a design team that put pencil to paper only AFTER a long liquid French lunch.
How else would you end up with a car that gives you the option of washing it or dry cleaning it.

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HONDA CIVIC and CR-V: improvements all round

Honda Civic 2015 (1)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.

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KIA OPTIMA: classy touches in a classy saloon

optima4FACED with a choice of either Kia’s successful Optima saloon or a VW Passat, a friend of a relative tossed a coin and took the keys to the German.

He was allegedly swayed by the greater engine choice available with the VW – a point hard to overlook when the Kia has but one on offer – but dismissing the Korean out of hand is a mistake.

It’s a car configured to catch the eye of the UK business driver, and while you can only have that 1.7 litre 134bhp version, it comes with an awful lot of equipment to make the buying decision that much harder.

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