Motoring

Toyota have taken a pretty boring looking small five door hatch, that does sell in big numbers around Europe and made it into something very special.

I can just imagine the conversations at Toyota HQ, someone has got their design drawing pad and added a few extra body parts onto a standard Yaris, they’ve then gone into their boss and said “I’ve had a great idea, why don’t we do a ‘pumped-up’ version of the fairly dull Yaris?” I can imagine the initial reaction would be one of, not a chance, it wouldn’t work, and it wouldn’t sell.

But it has gone into production, and it is selling extremely well. It is powered by a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine coupled to an automatic gearbox and the very clever and frugal Toyota hybrid system.

I had one recently on test, and before it arrived wasn’t sure about it’s design or concept, it just reminded me of what Rover did to the 25 back in 2003. They too took a pretty basic 25 hatch called it the Streetwise and added various bits to it, such as roof rails, plastic wheel arch mouldings and larger bumpers and called it the ‘Urban on-roader’ it was suppose to attract younger buyers to the Rover brand, and in fairness to Rover it didn’t do too badly in the market. But underneath it was still a fairly unreliable 25.

But the Yaris Cross is a cross of two things that Toyota do really well, make great small cars, and produce a fantastic non-plug-in Hybrid System. But the designers have completely transformed the exterior from the Yaris and made it almost unrecognisable from the standard car. Like the Streetwise lots of added body parts, but all very tastefully done, and all up to a very high quality in both materials used, and the fit and finish, not just a bit of glue holding it all together.

It has a higher driving position than the standard Yaris and even higher than its competitors such as the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq. In the Cross there are plenty of manual adjustments to the seats and steering wheel, so getting comfy, whatever size you are is really easy.

Rear leg and head room is fairly good for a small car, and the luggage space with its two-piece height adjustable boot floor is adequate.

But the economy on this Toyota is very good, during the week I had the car it achieved over 60mpg (4.7 l/100 km) which I thought was excellent and much of this was just local and short journeys. The hybrid system charges a battery whilst slowing down, braking, coasting or going down hills. The energy it saves, is then used for acceleration, and can run for a few miles purely on electric power, which helps fuel consumption and reduces emissions.

After a week, it was collected by Toyota GB, and I was a bit sad to see it go, as I really enjoyed using the Yaris Cross much more than I thought I was going to.

Prices in the
UK start from £24,840.

The original Citröen C5 was produced at the Rennes Plant back in 2001, wasn’t the prettiest of five-door hatches, but sold in reasonable numbers, and the French loved them.

Move on 20 years and we now have the C5 X, and the only thing it really has in common with the original, is sharing the C5 badges, everything else is completely new.

The C5 X is undoubtedly the most luxurious car that Citröen produce. It is very difficult to ‘categorise’. It mixes Estate car, long low hatch, and a bit of SUV with its raised height thrown in for good looks; yet all of these descriptions do seem to contradict each other. But for some reason, the exterior design seems to work well. The rear end, in my humble opinion is very reminiscent of the C6, a car not that popular back in its day, but quite sought after now.

The C5 X I had on test from Citröen UK Press Department was powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, coupled to electric motors giving it a total of 222bhp, making it a true hybrid. It goes from 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds. You can plug it in, and this will give you a range of around 40km. It also ‘self-charges’ when you are slowing down, braking or going down hills, and this spare energy goes back into the battery, is used at slow speeds, and reduces petrol used – in turn lowering emissions. But the driver does not have to think about what is going on with any of this as it does everything itself. All this technology and cleverness is coupled to a very smooth and efficient 8-speed auto gearbox.

All models of the C5 X has ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushion Suspension’ and driving it took me back to the days when Citröen’s just gilded along, you never felt any lumps or bumps in the road, it just drove as though they were not there. The C5 X has got this feeling, only a whole lot better. Added to the superb suspension it also has Advanced Comfort Seats, to provide maximum cushioning. A great in-car sound system keeps you from having a siesta, when you should be driving. The cabin is such a quiet, peaceful place to sit, especially when everyone else has nodded-off. The downside of this ultra-comfy car is it tends to lean a bit on corners, doesn’t feel as sharp at handling as many other cars, but you can’t have it all in one car.

The other difference between the original C5, which was made in France, is the all-new C5 X is manufactured in China. It’s built to a very high standard with high quality materials and great fit & finish throughout.

I really enjoyed the Citröen C5 X for the week I had it, but after seven days, I was still unsure as to what, it was exactly, or where it fitted in in the market, but, does it really matter?

The first Peugeot 308 was launched in June 2007,
replacing the 307, and was available as a hatchback, estate and a coupé-cabriolet. It regularly sold over 250,000 units per year globally.

But the 308, like many other French cars suffered from reliability problems, a legacy that lives on in many people’s minds today.

PSA the owner of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, have over the past few years worked overtime to overcome the problems they once had, and now being part of the Stellantis Group (Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Vauxhall, Opel etc) they certainly have made massive improvements in every department.

The car I had on test recently was a 308 Allure Premium, powered by a 1199cc 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 130hp. This is coupled to a very smooth 8-speed efficient automatic gearbox, and goes from 0-100kph in 9.7 seconds. Not bad for a 1.2 litre car.

The car was painted in Olivine Green, a colour that certainly grew on me during the time I had it, and was a real eye-catcher wherever I parked it.

The all-new 308 has certainly grown up to be a handsome looking car, the styling is superb from every angle.

It now wears the new Peugeot badges, which ooze modernity and are a big step away from the cumbersome chrome badges we’d grown accustomed to. The Peugeot logo dates back to 1847, which makes it the oldest car emblem. The lion, as the brands symbol, was designed when the steel business of the Peugeot family needed a logo. It was a heraldic symbol of the commune the Peugeot family came from, and serves as a reminder to this day.

The interior of the new 308 shimmers with quality, it’s more like an expensive German car, than a French hatchback.

The 308 is jammed packed full of goodies and above “standard” specification, so at UK OTR £28,020 it does look good value.

During the week I had the 308 I enjoyed every minute of driving it, and on average 55mpg (4.27 litres/100km) which I thought wasn’t a bad result.

The first Honda Civic was launched 50 years ago, back in 1972. I too have had a long relationship with the Civic as I was selling Hondas at a local garage in Huddersfield from 1976. Despite the locals reactions to selling Japanese cars in the village, they gradually accepted them, well, most did, and we sold loads.

The latest version of the Civic is the 11th generation, and when you take a look all the previous models, they are all very different. Not like most other similar sized hatchbacks that have evolved with styling, every Civic had radical changes in its design. But the one thing they had in common was the build quality and reliability.

For quite a while Hondas were well out of favour with younger buyers, and drivers tended to be in the older age bracket – not good for Hondas image.

The all-new Civic e:HEV is all-new from the ground up. The exterior design is coupé-like with its sloping roofline, but the lower roof at the rear doesn’t affect rear head room for passengers. It has uncluttered simple lines that makes it a good looking five-door hatch, with an overall cleaner look.

Major changes have been made under the bonnet since a new full hybrid system has been fitted, similar to other powertrains offered by competing manufacturers. It is powered by a newly developed 2.0-litre petrol engine coupled to dual electric motors and produces a total of 184ps, and goes from 0-100kph in 8-seconds. The gearbox is a CVT automatic, and no manual gearbox will be available. The hybrid system, like others, is self charging. This means no plugging in, as the batteries are charged when slowing down, going downhills, braking and so on. This stored energy is then used when setting off at traffic lights, roundabouts, and to give the petrol engine a boost on acceleration. All of these measures help save petrol, and make it greener and more economical.

During the time I drove the e:HEV, the car achieved 3.564 L/100km, which I thought was a good result from a two-litre petrol car. It feels safe and solid on all road surfaces, with handling fairly good, and much sharper than the previous model.

The new Civic will be built in Japan and exported to Europe following the shutdown of the Swindon plant in the UK.

All Honda Civic models will include Honda’s SENSING driver safety systems. These include a 100-degree front wide-view camera, lane-keeping assist, blind spot information and low speed braking control.

The model line-up comprises three versions: Elegance, Sport and Advance. All models have a decent long list of standard equipment.

Out on the roads, the Civic is very capable. It felt quick, very comfortable, and all the switches and buttons are in the right place and easy to use. The hybrid system works effortlessly – you don’t have to do anything – it does everything all by itself, and the economy was outstanding.

Overall a great package from Honda, and if like most people you’re not ready yet for an electric car, then the e:HEV is as close to clean as you’ll get.

A what, many of you may be thinking, a SsangYong, never heard of it, it is really a car manufacturer. Some others may see SsangYong and think of the very agricultural vehicles they may have once owned or been in, and probably couldn’t wait to get out of. It is fair to say that SsangYong hasn’t got the best of histories, in terms of quality and design.

SsangYong was established in 1954 in South Korea, and in the short time has had quite a chequered history, it has produced special purpose vehicles, built Jeeps for the US Army under licence, and a variety of trucks and buses. In 1991 SsangYong started a technology partnership with Daimler Benz to develop a SUV.

In 1997 Daewoo Motors (now GM Korea) bought the controlling stake from SsangYong Group, then in late 2004 the Chinese automobile manufacturer SAIC took a 51% stake in the company. In 2009 the company went into receivership due mainly to the global economic crisis. Then in 2010 four local and foreign companies took over the company, and very recently a consortium led by KG investment took over the company.

So a bit of a up and down history, and so SsangYong had to turn it round and make vehicles people actually wanted to buy, and get rid of the previous image. 

The test car I had a Musso Pick-Up truck was a bit of a surprise to say the least. It looks good with great and bold exterior design, looks very purposeful. The interior is so good, if you didn’t know what it was, you would think you were in a premium German saloon. SsangYong have gone overboard with the materials used and fit and finish in the cabin, it is very luxurious.

It is powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged Diesel engine that produces 181ps and available with either a 6-speed Manual or 6-speed automatic. All versions have part-time four-whee, drive system that sends drive to the front wheels, and to front and rear when needed, this does help with fuel economy.

Although you might feel as though you are sitting in a very expensive saloon or SUV, the ride, as expected is very much a pick-up, a bit lumpy and bumpy, but, it is a work horse, and not a Chelsea tractor. 

Currently there are very few new pick-ups on sale by manufacturers as many pulled out of the market for many reasons including high CO2 figures and emissions that were not acceptable, but this will be resolved soon, and those that disappeared will return, so SsangYong are currently in a good position with the Musso.

Interestingly SsangYong have a big connection here in Gibraltar, as some of you will know. BAG [Bassadome Automotive Group] based here on The Rock, acquired SsangYong UK distribution rights in 2011, and is the national distributor with 65 franchised dealers. BAG was founded in 1904 and has operations here, Spain, Finland, The Baltic’s and UK.

SsangYong has undergone a dramatic transformation over recent years, a new growth strategy, new management, new engineering, and obviously an new, and younger design team. It will continue to grow providing the quality remains sky-high and its design looks bold and appeals to European demanding tastes.

Pricing of the Pick-up I had on test is around £30,665 plus VAT, a lot of car for the money, as it comes fully loaded with standard specification.

In my humble opinion, people can buy cars for some of the oddest reasons. Perhaps they buy it because it looks good and stands out in a crowd, because it’s fast, or they’ve always liked the manufacturer, or because they like the colour or quite simply, it fits within their budget.

But I see so often, probably too often that the vehicle they bought just doesn’t suit their life, or lifestyle, or, more probably, the kids. People buy a “people carrier” because as the name suggests, it carries people, large, and small. But these people carriers usually can’t carry much else, such as prams, luggage, get the dog in the back, picnics, chairs and everything else you need for a day out with the family. I see so often neighbours setting off for the weekend with a drive full of stuff to go in the car, but nowhere to put it, and mum & dad arguing over what goes, and what stays. So what is the best thing a parent can buy, for safety, comfort, practicality and space, well Volkswagen have a lot to offer, as do Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Toyota and others, but let’s look at what VW currently have in the way a practical solution, and to help stop the driveway disagreements. 

I recently drove the much anticipated Multivan, the latest people carrier from Volkswagen and many regard this as the T7 Volkswagen started with the ‘T’ Series back in 1949, and based on the Beetle, with a water-cooled rear engine. You will remember it had a flat front and a split windshield, and today they are making a fortune, because they’re very collectible. Through the years VW introduced the T2, T3 and so on, until today we have an updated version of the T6 called the T6.1. It is available as many guises including a standard van, pick-up, crew-van and the ever popular Shuttle with either 8 or 9 seats and short or long wheelbase.

Then the Multivan came along and replaced the Caravelle 7-seater bus. Many thought the Shuttle would be discontinued in favour of the Multivan, but VW in their wisdom, correctly decided to carrying on building the Shuttle.

The Multivan is just so luxurious with seven individual seats with a 2-2-3 configuration, with the two centre seats able to turn around and slide back and forth. It is jam-packed full of technology and it just oozes opulence and quality. It is available with a choice of petrol, diesel or a plug-in Petrol to help save fuel, and reduce emissions, and VW only offer it with a DSG automatic gearbox. The Multivan is offered with either short, or long body, with the wheelbase remaining the same on both versions.

The T6.1 Shuttle is only available with diesel power, but does have the choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.

The Shuttle is available with long or short wheelbase and either 8 or 9 seats, the 8-seater has a double front passenger seat, whereas the 8-seat version has two individual ‘Captains’ front seats, the middle row has three individual seat and the third row a 3-seater bench.

So which is the best, or the one to choose? This all depends on your personal requirements. The Multivan is so luxurious and everything is high quality, full of technology and looks brilliant … but does lack a bit of space, especially in the luggage area, nowhere near as much as the T6.1.

The Shuttle is more like a van with windows, and seats, which is exactly what it is. But VW have been very clever in disguising the fact it is a van with windows, by making the interior look and feel very special, comfortable by using quality materials. The Shuttle is much more practical than the Multivan, you can get more people in it, and in the boot you can get dogs, bikes, trikes, proms, go to the tip, and so on. Whereas the Multivan is so good, and so precious you’d be frightened to put anything in it, it is… just too nice.

It is great though that Volkswagen actually offer you the choice, with these two very competent people carriers.

My choice, if you’re asking, would be the T6.1, just better for my lifestyle, four grandkids, dogs, always going to the tip, and the coast with buckets, spades, folding chairs, cool-box, all the usual rigmarole. So for me, the Shuttle suits me best, but I wouldn’t say no to a more expensive Multivan, but would have to restrict what I put in it.

It is not that long ago I can remember standing on Immingham Docks looking at some new Kias that had just arrived after their long journey from South Korea. The cars were, just alright, but not up to the standard of European or British cars, but they were trying their best in a tough market.

Move on seventeen years since the viewings at Immingham, and the models Kia is making now are unrecognisable from years ago.

I recently tested two of the latest models from Kia, the ever popular Sportage that has been a huge success for them, and the full-Electric EV6.

The EV6 is a great looking five-door crossover-coupé with some very nice, and bold lines to make the exterior design look very attractive, and stand out in a crowded car park.

As with most electric-cars the 0-100kph is pretty amazing, the EV6 is capable of doing this in 3.5 seconds, but the car I drove was a more leisurely 7.3 seconds, still quick though. With a full battery, and on a good day, it has a range of up to 328 miles, but on a bad day when the heating, or air-con is needed you can generally knock up to 25% of this range.

The interior is equally as impressive as the exterior, it is very modern, almost futuristic, like something out of a sci-fi movie. But everything seemed easy to use and intuitive.

Prices OTR in the UK start from £41,695.

The second Kia I have driven recently was the all-new Sportage, and although the previous model was really good, this new one is a massive improvement in all departments. The exterior design is sharp and crisp and looks great from every angle.

The interior has been changed dramatically, for the better, and the quality throughout the cabin is very high. The materials used, and fit and finish is up to a very high standard.

The car I had on test from Kia UK PR was the GT-Line Hybrid, that was ‘self-charging’, so like most hybrids, it charges the batteries when slowing down or going down a hill, stores the energy, so you can use it to power the electric motors; and that saves using the petrol engine to save fuel, and hence reduce emissions. This Kia technology is excellent and really does work, and saves precious and expensive fuel. During the time I had the car it averaged over 50mpg/4.7 litres per 100km.

I was expecting the new Sportage to be good, but was so much better than I expected.

Volvo were always regarded for many years as a “safe” car. People bought them because of their safety, and not always for their style and sharp looks. A Volvo was bought for transporting people and kids safely, and for their carrying capacity, the Volvo Estate was a hit globally.

But now Volvo have gone ultra-modern in terms of design and technology. The C40 is best described as a Coupe SUV, as it has all the advantages of a SUV, but the lines of a Coupe with its sloping roof, so does look a handsome car with some nice crisp lines, it’s sort of a “coupéfied” crossover.

Volvo have been working hard recently, first with plug-in hybrids, and now they are breaking into the Full-Electric market, and the C40 is an electric car, with Volvo saying 50% of its will be EV’s by 2025 and 100% by 2030, so a big job ahead for them, in a short space of time.

There are two versions of the C40: Recharge (single motor and front wheel drive 231hp) and Recharge Twin (two electric motors and all-wheel drive that produce equivalent of 402hp). I had the Recharge Twin on test, and it certainly goes, with a 0-100kph in just 4.7 seconds, but it did feel quicker than this.

The car has noticeably hardly any buttons, there isn’t even a start button, you fire it up by simply sitting in the drivers seat … yes the start button is under your bum. You then just put it in to drive or reverse, and away you go, no fumbling with keys, or looking for the start button, your bottom takes care of all of that.

The satellite navigation system and both the screens, one in the centre of the dashboard and the other in front of the driver are crystal clear, so accurate and precise, and is run on Google Maps, very impressive.

Volvo have also fitted their “Birds Eye” parking system. Now I thought Birds Eye did fish fingers and burgers, but no, they also help you park the car. This system works with external cameras all around the car, and the image of the car is super-imposed onto the central screen and it actually looks like there is a camera above the car. It is just so clever and accurate. I could go on and on about the brilliant technology the C40 has, but space is limited.

With a full charge the range on the Recharge Twin is around 350km, which is not bad, and most people can live with that on a day to day basis. But with all electric cars, especially in the UK, going on a long journey does need some planning, and always add extra time to charge the car up.

Prices are not cheap for the C40, starting at £44800 and going up to £58900 in the UK.

The nicest thing about an electric car is they are just so quiet. Turn off the radio, and it becomes such a peaceful and relaxing place to sit, no noise at all. It’s like riding on a magic carpet. Perfect.

Lastly, I just want to say thanks to Clive Brook Volvo Huddersfield for organising this test car.

I think it is fair to say that Honda went through some fairly dull years when it came to design. They seemed to rely on their good name, great engineering and faithful following, so styling didn’t really matter, so played it safe, not wanting to upset or lose their current customers. But the faithful got older, and Honda started losing ground, and customers.

But in recent years, the company has invested heavily in new, more modern designs, out with the old designers, and in with the new.

The all-new HR-V is a great example of this new fresh look from Honda. Crisp lines that run down the sides, a big bold front end, and a ‘coupe-Like’ roof-line in this cleverly styled SUV.

The HR-V is powered by a frugal 1.5-litre petrol engine called i-MMI (Intelligent Multi Mode Drive, and coupled to a smooth e-CVT automatic gearbox, and goes from 0-100kph in 10.7 seconds.

The HR-V has the latest Honda Full-Hybrid system fitted which adds dramatically to improved fuel consumption and reduces emissions. This hybrid systems works quite simply by having additional batteries that charge when you are slowing down, coasting or braking. The energy saved is then used to power the car, so the petrol engine is not used. Living in hilly Yorkshire this system works really well, for every hill you go down, you charge the batteries, and then this energy is used to go back up another hill. During the time I had the test car from Honda UK I got on average 63mpg (4.484 l/100km) so a good result I thought. With this hybrid system, like others on the market, you don’t have to think about doing anything, it’s all done for you automatically, clever stuff, eh…

The interior has also been well thought out with lots of standard equipment and all the on-board systems easy to fathom out and use, all very instinctive.

The seat ride height is higher than a typical hatch, and with it being a small SUV, you do get a better, commanding view around you.

There is plenty of storage space, and although the boot is not ‘over-big’ you can get quite a bit of luggage or shopping in it.

The rear seat has a clever mechanism, so it can lift up to give more storage space, and there is plenty of room under the rear seat for storage also, so much space in fact that you can actually lose stuff under it, I know, because I lost some shopping, it just disappeared in the huge cavity, like a black hole.

The petrol engine combined with the batteries and electric motors produce 131ps, so enough power for the coupe-like SUV.

The cost of the test car, the Advance in the UK costs £31,035 OTR, but you do get a lot of car, and equipment for your money.

During the week I had the Honda HR-V I liked it more and more every time I drove it, and when it was unfashionable not long ago to say you liked a Honda, this had now changed, and you feel good driving one, and seeing the excellent fuel consumption, helps you like it even more.

For those familiar with the Suzuki range of passenger cars will no doubt know the Swift and Vitara, these are the bread and butter for Suzuki.

Lesser known ones include the Ignis, Alto and Jimny, but also on that list is the S-Cross, which has never really attracted much attention, and probably bought by those who thought it was a Vitara, as they were very similar to look at. Only a close examination of the badge, for many could tell them apart. Different they were, with the S-Cross really being a slightly larger version of the ever-popular Vitara.

But now a new S-Cross has been launched, and it couldn’t be any different, what the previous model lacked in style, this all-new model makes up for. It has bold and striking lines that make the exterior look very handsome.

We drove this new car on the UK Press event in Cheshire, on a variety of roads and it proved to be good in all conditions. We did not however take it off-road, but with previous experience of using the Suzuki AllGrip four-wheel drive system, I can be pretty confident in saying it will be great on any slippery surface.

The new S-Cross is powered by a 1.4-litre BoosterJet petrol engine with 48v Mild Hybrid technology that produces 129ps, goes from 0-100kph in 10.2 seconds.

The mild Hybrid system, put quite simply is a way of generating electricity that is stored in a separate battery. This stored energy is used when accelerating away from standstill and helps reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions. During the short time I drove the car it achieved 42.2 mpg (6.694 litres per 100 km) which for the type of roads and journey was a good result.

The interior, is well, a complete change, Suzuki have thrown everything away from the previous model, and started again, a huge step forward, in design, materials used and quality. It is comfortable, easily fits in five adults and enough room in the luggage compartment for plenty of luggage or shopping.

Suzuki have moved away from their usual badging, or naming, and instead replaced it with Motion and Ultra, they’ve kept it simple with just two models. I drove the Ultra 6-speed manual, and it was fully loaded with standard equipment, and the cost of this car in the UK is £29,799, a lot of car for your money. The Motion is not at all basic, and costs £24,999, but for the bit extra, I’d go for the Ultra.

I drove the car from England into Wales, and back then there were different rules for both countries, but the route only took us over the border for a short time, so didn’t need to get out the Rule Book.

This all-new S-Cross is such a departure from the previous car, and I can imagine those who had never considered one before, for a variety of reasons, might just be temped by this much improved one. It does offer a lot in terms of style, quality, design, fuel consumption and value for money.