23 05, 2012

Truckin’ Wild

By Sean Bell23 May, 2012bmw, car, China, FAW, GM, HSSE, JAC, LS, MoT, toyota, Volkswagen No Comments

I’m back in China this week, with more automotive observations from the country with the biggest number of the smallest people. (Did I tell you about the airport security officer that made me stand on a block in order to […]

11 05, 2012

One in five cars fails its first MoT

By Steve Lumley11 May, 20122008, car, chevrolet, citroen, Europe, honda, lexus, LS, LV, mini, MoT, MoT failures, peugeot, renault, Renault Magane, saab, suzuki, toyota, Troubled Swedish, UK, volvo, VOSA No Comments

With the build quality of new cars being vastly improved in recent years, what proportion of them would fail their first MoT? I think it’s a really good question and consumer website honestjohn.co.uk has looked at 24.5 million MoT records […]

3 05, 2012

The unstoppable rise of hybrid cars

By Steve Lumley3 May, 2012caption, car, Europe, GS, hybrid car, hybrid cars, hybrid vehicle, hybrid vehicles, lexus, Lexus cars, LS, MoT, Prius Plug, prius plug-in, prius+, seat, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Sport, toyota, toyota hybrid, UK, Yaris, Yaris Hybrid No Comments

It’s enough to make the most diehard petrolhead choke on his cornflakes – news is in that hybrid car sales are soaring. Sadly, they are no longer a fad, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chart a […]

30 04, 2012

Fuel economy: Real-world miles per gallon information now available

By Steve Lumley30 April, 2012107, audi, Audi A4, bmw, bmw x1, caption, car, car buyers, Chas Hallett, EU, fiat, fiat 500, ford, Ford Fiesta, ford focus, Ford Focus Estate, fuel economy, fuel prices, govt mpg, hyundai, hyundai i30, kia, Kia Picanto, Kia Rio, LV, mini, MoT, motorists, nissan, Nissan Micra, peugeot, peugeot 107, price, SE, TDI, toyota, Toyota Prius, true mpg, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Golf, volvo, volvo s60, what car? No Comments

We’ve all done – got to the end of a long journey and wondered where the fuel has gone. And no you probably haven’t made a miscalculation because the published fuel economy figures which you use for the trip are […]

4 04, 2012

A Big Bad Battleship Never to Cross the Pond

By Sean Bell4 April, 2012American cars, car, chevrolet, Chevrolet Impala, Chevy Impala, Cruise Control, Europe, GM, horses, LS, MoT, New York, Sport, toyota, Toyota Camry, US, vauxhall, Vauxhall Opel Insignia No Comments

Starting today: the New York International Auto Show. Not a car show that unveils too many relevant models for us here in Europe. This one’s no exception, it’s the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Impala. But I still gasped when I saw […]

26 03, 2012

Forte Kia

By Sean Bell26 March, 2012audi, car, Caribbean, chevrolet, Chevrolet Spark, Chevy Avalanches, coupe, Dodge Rams, Europe, ford, Ford F150s, Forte Kia, Great Wall, honda, Honda Ridgeline, Hugo Chavez, italian car, kia, Kia Cerato Forte, Kia Forte, Kia Forte Koup, Kia Picanto, LS, MoT, music, Peter Schreyer, peugeot, renault, Sport, Think Kia Picanto, toyota, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Yaris, UK, US, Venezuela Hugo Chavez, VW, Yaris No Comments

I’m writing this from a small Caribbean island not far off the cost of Venezuela – Hugo Chavez would much like to get his hand on it, and the neighbouring islands, but this is a former Dutch colony and now […]