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Renault launches zero per cent finance on multiple models
RENAULT has announced a range of offers for the final quarter of 2017 including a three-year zero per cent APR Selections PCP finance package available on Clio, New Captur, Kadjar, Mégane, Mégane Sport Tourer, Scénic, Grand Scénic and Koleos.
Customers can take advantage of these offers until December 31.
The stylish Clio with a refreshed exterior and enhanced interior and equipment can be driven away from £129 per month on the three-year zero per cent...
Fourth-generation Sorento the best yet
OVER the last few years I've driven pretty much everything in Kia’s range and I've been impressed by them all in their own way, but the Sorento four-by-four raises the bar to a whole new level.
Launched back in 2002 as the South Korean company's first SUV, the fourth-generation model is a marked move on design-wise from the pretty simply-styled third version.
Whereas the previous car would appear a little archaic - in...
Jag takes fight to German rivals
THE executive estate market shows no sign of slowing down - having been dominated by German marques for years - so manufacturers simply must be on the top of their game if they dare go toe-to-toe with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
So it’s a relief that Jaguar’s XF Sportbrake, which has been around for more than a decade now, is better than ever in 2021 guise and has become a genuine alternative to the...
RS4 ticks every box
EVER find yourself prowling AutoTrader on the hunt for random cars? A strange thing to non-car-loving people but absolutely normal to us lot and an enjoyable way to pass time when your mind wanders from hot hatches to supercars, taking in everything else between as you piece together your dream multi-car garage.
I’ll go from searching for former cars - the much-missed 106 Rallye and 182 Trophy mainly - and rue the days I...
Top-drawer spec for enigmatic Cupra
IF I reel off some stand-out features on this car’s spec sheet, it’ll be sure to whet the appetite of every petrolhead. Here goes: Akrapovic exhaust made from titanium, Brembo brakes, carbon fibre wing mirrors, bucket seats, tuning from ABT, 345bhp, less than 100 models…
I could go on, but it all sounds incredibly appealing, doesn’t it? Add in a seven-speed DSG gearbox and four-wheel-drive and it translates into 60mph in under five seconds...
Type R remains an all-time great
STAND-OUT drives from years gone by can often be recalled as if they had happened yesterday. Each ingredient for that recipe has to be in place - the right road, car and weather conditions all play a huge role but if everything comes together, a perfect memory is formed and it’s something that will stay with you for a lifetime. You’ll remember it each and every time you return to that particular stretch of road.
...
ES300h offers a different take on the German-dominated saloon sector
THINK of the highly competitive saloon sector and your mind automatically conjures up images of a BMW 5-Series, probably dawdling along, infuriatingly hogging a motorway’s middle lane.
The Germans have the market pretty much cornered in truth - Merc’s handsome new E-Class and Audi’s A6 are both worthy contenders to the BMW and, if anything, even eclipse that car.
However, Lexus isn’t a manufacturer known for treading the same path as its rivals and its...
Hot Megane is worthy of its Trophy moniker
RENAULTSPORT, to me at least, represents just about the final word when it comes to hot hatch magnificence - no other performance arm has created cars like the ones they’ve done, time and time again.
Think back to the two versions of the crazy Clio V6, for example. They plucked a humble supermini from obscurity, pulled out its rear seats and shoehorned a 3.0-litre V6 where children once sat. If that doesn’t get you hooked...
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Fiesta ST is a modern-day hero
ONE of life’s simple pleasures is barrelling down a tricky stretch of road in a car that’s fizzing with feel, feedback and involvement. If you enjoy driving, little can beat the brilliance of doing such a thing in a well-sorted hot hatchback.
Key to the exercise is the car’s simplicity. Intrusive stability nannies are often dialled down or made redundant at the press of a button, there’s just about always a six-speed manual gearbox and...
New Megane RS has predecessors' magic
I MUST let you in on a little secret: I’m a former owner of two of Renaultsport’s cars so I took delivery of the new Megane RS 280 with a significant amount of bias towards the brilliant French brand.
I was 21 when I bought a several-year-old Clio 182 Trophy, build number 490 of 500, and covered more than 40,000 miles over the following three years on its trick Sachs dampers. I replaced it with...
Quadrifoglio has the character to match its heavyweight punch
I MUST admit something before we get into the thick of just what the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is really like, because I’ve penned numerous articles about my hatred of fast SUVs in the past.
I voiced my disgust at them being pointless, vast expressions of wealth. I said they served little purpose other than being a vulgar status symbol to impress other pretentious snobs. I also said they were usually driven by women with...
Best-in-class Jag impresses
I’M a fickle person and if I had been given a Jaguar E-Pace to review before becoming a dad for the first time, I’d have scoffed and probably moaned about its lofty driving position and failed to see its point.
As someone who loves driving, preferably with a manual gearbox, an automatic SUV never really floated my boat until a little bundle of joy came into my life.
Your preferences change in the blink of...
Big Volvo injects excitement into Swedish marque's line-up
VOLVO is a manufacturer synonymous with family life - they’re practical, they’re spacious, they’re reliable and they’re very good at their job. Their owners, many of whom opt to stay loyal to the brand, will bleat on about their NCAP safety ratings, cavernous boots and rattle-free interiors but one thing they don’t tend to mention is how the ownership as a whole makes them feel.
That’s because they aren’t known as an exciting brand -...
Wild Civic Type R has the punch to match its looks
THERE are certain cars from your childhood that will always stand out and if you recall them fondly, the chances are you’ll still harbour a bit of a soft spot for them throughout your life.
Get away from the brightly-coloured Lamborghinis and Ferraris and there’ll be more attainable cars in there somewhere - hot hatches, usually - so many people will be thinking of Peugeot 205 GTIs, Lancia Delta Integrales and the gold-wheeled Clio Williams....
Iconic 911 proves it's still the purists' choice
IT might appear strange to be starting a Porsche review with a few paragraphs about Ferrari, but bear with me on this one as I must let you in on a secret: Porsche never really floated my boat in my youth.
Like most impressionable youngsters, I was inevitably attracted to the red carpet glitz and glamour Ferraris brought to the table in their F1 heyday with road-going, track-biased cars such as the 360 Challenge Stradale...
Leon Cupra vies for hot hatch crown
PRESS release hyperbole can be tiring to read when it lands in your inbox - a roll of the eyes and a swift hover over the delete button is usually what happens.
Fair enough, manufacturers have to do it, but if anything it has the opposite effect of what it’s trying to do - impress its recipient - and makes me worry even more for new cars which appear to be relying on its pointless...
Evoque shows it has substance and style
THERE are many reasons why I dislike a lot of the cars I come across on the road.
I’m a bit of a pain in truth. I always place key details such as steering feel, a well-sorted chassis and handling over aspects ‘normal’ people would insist on: comfort, practicality and prestige.
The latter is a particular part of why Range Rover Evoques are so popular - there’s rarely a journey that goes by without seeing...
Ibiza gets the vote from Euro panel
THE SEAT Ibiza has continued to gain plaudits after being named one of the top two cars in the prestigious Car of the Year 2018 awards.
Announced in Geneva, a panel of 60 members representing 23 European countries awarded the Ibiza a coveted silver medal, with the supermini’s combination of distinctive styling and outstanding driving dynamics earning yet another industry accolade.
The prestigious European Car of the Year award, now in its 55th year, celebrates...
Lucky few to order first edition
PEUGEOT has unveiled a range-topping all-new 508 First Edition with a limited run of just 200 vehicles for the UK.
Revealed at Geneva Motor Show, this high-spec version of the all-new 508 is now available for customer reservations, both online and in Peugeot dealerships across the country.
The all-new 508 First Edition packs an impressive array of innovative tech on-board, taking the technology offering to a whole new level. It includes fully automated parking assistance,...
New Musso is unveiled at Geneva show
THE all-new SsangYong Musso pick-up has been launched at the Geneva Motor Show.
Entering the fast-growing and highly competitive pick-up market segment, the new Musso is a competent multi-purpose vehicle with traditional SsangYong values comprehensively equipped, a sector leading five-year limitless mileage warranty and a value for money package expected at launch.
Built on the same architecture as the new Rexton, Musso shares its body-on-frame construction to give a strong vehicle that delive
