Author: Robin Roberts

On the 70th anniversary of the founding of their business, KG is celebrating with the launch of their Torres model for today’s 2024 market. Now KG Motors mayn’t be familiar to everyone but acquired the struggling SsangYong Motors, which is undoubtedly better known and respected among owners. The cars are built in Pyeongtaek, about an hour’s drive south of Seoul, capital of South Korea. There are Torres K30, K40 and K40AWD models in the range with an electric model as well and a hybrid coming in 2025. The petrol models share a 1.5 engine and all come with 6sp Aisin…

It’s a delicate balance building cars for the masses, for markets around the world and meeting the needs of motorists with a love of motorsports, but Toyota does all three very well. The new GR86 is a very good example of bringing motorsport engineering into the mainstream, well almost. It has been developed from the earlier GT86, which used a 2.0 litre flat-four cylinder engine but has now been replaced with a more powerful, stronger and sportier near 2.4 litre power unit. There are just two versions, the 6sp manual from £30,140 or the 6sp automatic costing £32,230. About 1,500…

Better late than never is probably what you can say about the impressive Toyota RAV4 PHEV. We have always been fans of the Toyota RAV4 but when it launched the petrol-hybrid in 2016 we bemoaned the fact there was no plug-in derivative to improve emissions when other manufacturers were putting them into showrooms. So, Toyota has been slow to roll out its PHEV RAV4, but it has wisely used the eight years and come up with what is probably the best of this type. It is very eco-friendly, starting in ev mode every time and has a 46 miles battery…

Skoda is emerging as a serious family and business car contender on UK roads, particularly after its extensive facelift and revisions earlier this year. Previously, many looked at Skoda only after discounting the higher priced alternatives in its sector but it has elbowed and shouldered its way to the front, propelled by a value for money philosophy. This Spring, Skoda gave its popular Scala hatchback and Kamiq SUV stablemate a significant redesign both inside and out, added some extra equipment and streamlined the powertrain choices in its three-trim levels. Out went the diesel it had used for years and instead…

Britons are turning off battery cars and looking at hybrids, according to the latest July car registrations. Now concern is mounting among car-makers that they will be hit with big penalties for failing to hit UK Government mandated 22% of BEV sales this year. Manufacturers and dealers are likely to be offering incredible leasing and HP deals to businesses and private buyers to move more electric cars and avoid the penalties of thousands of pounds for every model which is not BEV  powered. Next month is another plate change to the 74 prefix and incentives could be added on top…

Twenty-one years after its launch the latest Kia Sorento seven seat SUV has been taking design cues from its new all-electric stablemate, the EV9. Unlike the BEV, the Sorento is available in three grades in the UK: ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ with the choice of 190 bhp 2.2-litre common-rail diesel, 212 bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged-petrol hybrid (HEV), or a 249bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged-petrol plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The HEV and PHEV Sorento variants are equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, while diesel models receive an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. New Sorento starts from £41,995 in the UK, £3,030 less than the outgoing model, and rises…

Honda has just raised its game in the burgeoning Battery Electric Vehicle battle in Britain. Earlier this year it rolled out its family focussed e:Ny1 in two trim levels. The Elegance opens the range from just under £40,000 and comes with heated front seats and 15.1-inch infotainment screen while for just over £2,000 more the Advance version gains a heated steering wheel, parking system and large glass sunroof. Now, Honda has updated the retail offer for the e:Ny1 electric vehicle whether leasing or buying on HP through Honda finance before the end of September 2024. The e:Ny1 can now be…

The UK new car market has hit the half year million motors mark for the first time in five years, after new car registrations rose in June by a modest 1.1% to reach 179,263 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. As a result, so far in 2024, 1,006,763 new cars have been registered, up 6.0% on the previous year but still down -20.7% on 2019. June’s market growth was driven primarily by the fleet sector, where uptake rose by 14.2%, while private retail demand fell for the ninth consecutive month, down -15.3%. Retail buyers accounted for fewer than four…

Subaru has one of the smallest model ranges on sale in Britain, but arguably it is also one of the best. After building a reputation on performance in the World Rally Championship, Subaru has since focused on active leisure and lifestyle buyers and now is exclusively a four-wheel-drive producer. Early in 2024, the new Subaru Crosstrek replaced the venerable XV model in the brand’s UK range alongside the Forester, Outback and Solterra BEV and is available in Limited and Touring trim levels with prices starting at £34,345 and going up to £36,345 for the range-topping Touring variant, the version we…

The latest Audi Q4 e-tron is proof that you can get more than you expect, even in today’s cut-throat and complex car market. When originally launched in March 2021 it was the fourth fully electric model in the brand’s e-tron series but it’s undergone continuous improvement and towards the end of 2023 it was boosted with a bigger battery and significant suspension and equipment changes to enhance driver appeal and practicality. It’s worked very well. Built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform which permits adaptation to a variety of body shapes, sizes and powertrains, the Q4 e-tron is a mid-size…