Honda has a lot of pride in the Civic, and that's justified. Honda started making Civic models in 1972, nine years after it expanded from motor-bikes into cars with the N360 and then the 1300, and Civic put the brand on the world map for automobiles. So the Civic is the company’s longest established and arguably best known model, which also spurred development of the larger Honda Accord and … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota C-HR Excel 1.8 FWD
Dramatic styling marked the 2016 arrival of the Toyota C-HR suv and now that’s been facelifted and given a technical make-over inside as well. Toyota’s Coupe-High Rider, to give it the full title, is one of the brand’s best selling models in Britain and has hit the sweet-spot in showrooms over the last eight years but with newer rivals sweeping in there was a need to modernise the … [Read more...]
First drive: Honda ZR-V SUV
Honda’s tightened its hold on the SUV sector with this month’s announcement of the ZR-V, squarely aimed at families and retail buyers. The Japanese car-maker has a very loyal following and while it wishes existing owners will consider the newcomer when they want to change, it also hopes to hook in buyers from other brands as the sector now accounts for almost six-in ten new cars … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Yaris GR Sport
Toyota dominated this year’s World Rally Championship and hopes some of this success will spread into its sophisticated city car, the Yaris. It launched the Yaris GR Sport about 12 months ago and my test drive really took me back, more than a year, to a time when hot-hatchbacks were all the rage and any car which had a rally or racing pedigree was guaranteed to be a winner on a Monday after a … [Read more...]
First drive: Suzuki S Cross Full Hybrid
Suzuki has passed another milestone on its road to future mobility with the arrival in UK showrooms of the latest Full Hybrid S Cross SUV. Using the same powertrain from its Vitara stablemate, the S Cross Full Hybrid is a logical development of the mild-hybrid S Cross introduced at the end of 2021. That has been a runaway success for Suzuki despite constraints imposed by this year’s … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: KIA Niro 1.6 GDI HEV 4
After being launched in Britain in 2016, the Kia Niro has risen to become the marque’s second best seller in the UK and the third most popular in Europe, consistently increasing sales each year. Part of that success is down to being right sized for the UK but also careful marketing has ensured its high specification appeals to retail buyers while its running costs make it attractive to businesses … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid Motion
Suzuki has a knack of bringing to market just what buyers want at the right time. It has built all manner of models including city cars, sports cars, lightweight offroaders and pickups and more recently SUVs which will not tip the bank balance into the red. Essentially applying good design and engineering but keeping it simple to reduce cost has paid dividends for Suzuki and given them a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Jazz Crosstar EX
Among the Japanese automotive brands, Honda stands out as being a bit different, not afraid to have a go at something while remaining fiercely independent, even if it tends to change its mind from time to time. One of the enduring models in its UK lineup for two decades has been the Jazz series of supermini’s, which morphed into the Jazz Crosstar crossover model, effectively a taller hatchback a … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: First drive Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid
Suzuki has not skimped on kitting out their new-age full hybrid Vitara SUV and it represents much better value than its closest eight rivals. Every model gets intellingent braking assistance, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise, seven airbags, Smartphone connectivity, remote key, navigation and climate control. On top of this standard … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda Jazz EX
Two decades have defined the refined the Honda Jazz city car. From its earliest beginnings the Jazz offered unrivalled practicality with its really clever Magic Seats for three passengers but can also completely flip flat into a van-like carrier, or their bases can be folded up to take tall items lodged in the footwells. No other rival can do that. The latest Mk4 version comes in five models, … [Read more...]