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 words “big” and “Mini” still look odd together, but one blast in the John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Sport is enough to make the contradiction disappear in a haze of exhaust noise and grins. This is the biggest Mini yet — taller, wider, roomier — and yet somehow it hasn’t lost that mischievous, go-kart soul that’s defined the brand … Read the rest
THERE’S something quietly brilliant about a fast estate. Forget SUVs with more horsepower than sense; the real connoisseur’s choice has always been a big, low-slung wagon with room for the dog, the kids, and enough luggage for a long weekend.
Now Audi has taken that formula into the electric age with the A6 e-tron Avant. And in Launch Edition Performance … Read the rest
HYBRID SUVs are everywhere these days, but few wear their eco-credentials as confidently as the Honda HR-V. While some rivals still feel like petrol cars with a battery wedged in, the HR-V e:HEV was designed as a hybrid from the ground up.
The result is a small family crossover that’s smart to look at, smooth to drive, and refreshingly easy … Read the rest
COMMUTING, school runs, shopping trips, and the occasional motorway dash — for most of us, that’s the real-world test of a car. And it’s exactly what the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid has been built for.
While everyone else shouts about either fully electric futures or big engines from the past, Kia offers something in between: a compact crossover with just … Read the rest
LAUNCHING a seven-seater SUV powered by a straight-six diesel engine feels about as on-trend as bringing back the MiniDisc. Yet that’s exactly what Mazda has done – first in the CX-60 and now with the larger CX-80.
While rivals chase electrification headlines and complex plug-in promises, Mazda has doubled down on honest engineering: a big, efficient diesel engine, a roomy … Read the rest
YOU don’t expect a compact electric SUV to feel this polished. The Kia EV3 doesn’t just tick the boxes for range, practicality, and family-friendliness – it does it with enough style and tech to make some premium brands look a bit overpriced. With sharp looks, a long-range option of up to 375 miles, and Kia’s trademark value, the EV3 could … Read the rest
THE Ford Transit Custom is so familiar on UK roads it’s practically part of the landscape. Builders, delivery drivers, mobile workshops – it’s the van that gets the job done.
But Ford hasn’t let familiarity slip into stagnation. Over the years we’ve seen it grow from a dependable diesel workhorse into something far broader: limited editions with style, fully electric … Read the rest
Motorsport. The word itself conjures the smell of petrol, the glint of spanners, and the sight of stripped-down machines surrounded by crews in overalls. It’s an arena of speed and spectacle, from the marble-polished glamour of Monaco to the gritty thrill of gravel-spraying rally cars tearing through damp forests. At its extremes, it is visceral, loud, and mechanical—a theatre of … Read the rest
IF the name KGM doesn’t immediately ring any bells, perhaps its former identity, SsangYong, will. The South Korean brand first landed on UK shores back in the early ‘90s, primarily known for reimagining Mercedes-Benz hardware on a budget. Models like the Rexton bore more than a passing resemblance to early M-Class SUVs.
Now, rebranded as KGM (Korea Global Mobility) and … Read the rest
THE Ford Focus ST Edition is the only press car I’ve ever had which comes with a large spanner in the glovebox.
But worry not; the spanner is a sign of the ST Edition’s commitment to ultimate performance rather than a fix for iffy engineering. Adjustable KW coilover suspension may be a manual affair in the Focus ST Edition, but … Read the rest
