Freelance motoring writer and member of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers with a love of cars, motorbikes and running.
I lied about the love of motorbikes. They scare me to death - although I would like to own a Ducati 996 in red which I would just look at but never ride. No, not ever.
THE Skoda Octavia vRS hatchback has always been a favourite with those wanting to experience some sporting thrills while unwilling to sacrifice any practicality. After all, having a family shouldn’t mean you need to wave goodbye to driving pleasure.
And if that family includes a dog there is always the Octavia vRS Estate. I say “a dog” but it could … Read the rest
THE Kia Sorento is the South Korean company’s flagship offering and this 3rd generation SUV is bigger and bolder than what has gone before, now offering 7-seats as standard across the range and an interior to rival the more up-market brands.
The exterior is much improved too – which, to be honest, isn’t that difficult as the old Sorento … Read the rest
THE new Vauxhall Insignia has now been given the added title of “Grand Sport” in its hatchback guise but I’m not sure why Vauxhall feel the need to add the extra title as plain “Insignia” was, and still is, fine by me.
It’s not as though the new Insignia is much grander and much sportier than the previous model – … Read the rest
AFTER experiencing the likes of the Ford Mustang, Jaguar F-Type and, most recently, the Alfa Romeo 4C, I can fully understand the thinking behind this excellent idea from Ford.
IF you’re after a driver-focused, rear-wheel-drive , 2+2 coupe for under £30,000 then you could do worse than settle on the Subaru BRZ.
You may be tempted to bust your budget slightly for a different badge and go for the Subaru’s stable mate, the Toyota GT86 but if you lean toward performance rather than comfort then I wouldn’t bother as … Read the rest
THE 2017 Northern Car of the Year is the Suzuki Ignis; it is the second time in four years that the manufacturer has received the award, having also won with the outgoing model Swift Sport in 2014.
The region’s pre-eminent motoring journalists, members of the Northern Group of Motoring Writers, placed the eye-catching Ignis at the top of the poll … Read the rest
FOR those needing a working vehicle that will double as the family transport there has never been more choice and the all-new Nissan Navara NP300 is a pick-up truck that should definitely be on your shortlist.
Nissan produced their first pick-up back in 1935 so they had plenty of experience to draw on when designing the new Navara which is … Read the rest
EVERYONE loves an Alfa Romeo, right? Even a certain Mr. Clarkson reckons you’re not a proper petrol-head until you’ve owned one. So, hands up anyone who has actually bought one . . . thought not.
You see, when it comes to our cars we’re a pretty conservative lot. We are beguiled by beauty but when it comes to laying … Read the rest
THE new BMW 5-Series is so refined and offers such good driving dynamics that it had me convinced that this car could be all things to all people – whether you’re a business user who needs a tax-efficient luxury saloon or a family user who fancies driving something that not only feels special but provides better-than-average space for the whole … Read the rest
The new Kodiaq is Skoda’s first venture into the large SUV market and it’s making quite an impression among those who are looking for a family-friendly Crossover that has plenty of space but isn’t unwieldy around town – it’s actually only 4cm longer than the Skoda Octavia.
The fact that there is a 7-seat option greatly adds to the Kodiaq’s … Read the rest
