The Mazda2

The Mazda2 is a super mini produced by Mazda since 2007; it is available as a 3 door of 5 door model. It is built using the same platform as the 2008 Ford Fiesta, which we know is a good car. The Mazda2 replaces the old Mazda 121 which was a simply rebadged Ford Fiesta. The new Mazda2 was named the 2008 World Car of the Year.

The new Mazda2 is available with a choice of 3 petrol engines and 1 diesel. The petrol models consist of 1.3 litre with either 74 or 83 bhp and a 101 bhp 1.5 litre. Both of the 1.3 litre models provide enough grunt to provide a nippy drive around town. The 1.5 litre is better suited for motorways and longer drives. The diesel units provides a good balance between fuel efficiency and power, it is a flexible engine and is great to drive.

Based heavily on the Ford Fiesta the Mazda2 is fundamentally already a great car, it has sharp and grippy handling, the steering is well waited and provides decent amount of feedback. The ride is a little firmer than I would like but is bearable and the handling more than makes up for it. 

In July of this year Mazda announced a special edition Mazda2, the Limited Edition Mazda2 Black five-door. The special edition model comes with a black vinyl roof, matt black 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, privacy glass and a rear bumper sports trim. On the inside the special edition receives climate control air-conditioning, a Parrot Bluetooth hands-free system, electric rear windows, plus unique 'Black Edition' exterior badging, uniquely numbered interior plaque and Limited Edition floor mats.

The Passat less new VW CC

The VW Passat CC has become one of my personal favourites; I really like the frameless windows and the coupe style roof line. It’s a sporty coupe with the practicality of a 4 door saloon and five door hatchbacks all in one! For me the Passat CC sits amongst the Mercedes Benz CLS and the Audi A5 Fastback.

According to AutoCar there will be a new face lifted Passat CC unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Motor Show, which is taking place later this month. Apparently Volkswagen wants the 5 door coupe to take a significant step upmarket. In order to achieve this, the updated model features new front and rear styling and an extended range of standard equipment.

The new Passat CC will come with a choice of 3 direct injection petrol engines, with 158, 208 and 295 bhp. The most powerful version will have a dual clutch and four wheel drive as standard. Diesel engines will have 138 and 168 bhp power output options. 

As standard the CC comes with ESP electronic stabilization, sport chassis and hill start assist. Most variants also feature dynamic chassis control and a XDS transverse differential lock. Premium touches available in the new Passat CC include lane assist system, fatigue detection, a dynamic light assist, park assist and a boot that can be operated via a motion sensor. 

To help the Passat climb into the premium sector VW have decided to remove the name Passat from its official title and refer to it as the VW CC instead. It will go on sale in Germany from January 2012 with sales in the UK to follow shortly after that.

The sportiest Beetle ever!

The sportiest Beetle ever!

The current Volkswagen R range consists of the Golf and Scirocco; both models are the fastest models to be produced in their respective model range. The VW Golf and the even the Scirocco have history as two of the hot hatches ever to grace this earth! The Golf GTI and VR6 models were some of the fastest cars in the UK for years. Even now the GTI and R32 are very difficult to fault or beat. 

The R Range not only adds pure power to the models, it also adds sophisticated technology and enhanced safety features. Both the Golf and the Scirocco use the 2.0-litre TSI four-cylinder engine and a six speed manual gearbox as standard. The Scirocco R develops 265 PS and 258 lbs ft of torque while the Golf R produces 270 PS and 258 lbs ft of torque. 

The Golf uses VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive to help deliver power to all four wheels, the Scirocco however is front wheel drive and uses the XDS electronic cross-axle traction control system to ensure improved grip in all conditions.

At this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show Volkswagen unveiled the new VW Beetle R Concept, according to Volkswagen it is the “Sportiest Beetle ever”. The Beetle R would become the fastest and sportiest model in the range, currently the 2.0 litre TSI is the sportiest. Official figures have not been published but one can assume that the Beetle Type R will have similar figures to the Golf R – 266 bhp!

The concept looked slightly different from the current production model, which is expected. The concept had an integrated rear diffuser and a rear spoiler that is larger than the production Beetle, as well as two sets of dual-chrome tailpipes.

Peugeot's flexible family vehicle

Peugeot the French car manufacturer introduced the Peugeot Partner Tepee in 2008; it replaced the Partner Combi and makes up the new range of Peugeot’s flexible family vehicles. The Tepee is fundamentally derived from a van, so not to everyone’s liking. 

The Peugeot Partner Tepee may not have the crisp lines and curvy roof lines of a coupe; it has a basic interior without too many gizmos. Don’t expect to be bowled over by the creature comforts of the Tepee. It is however a car for “real” families – it has a lot of storage for family trips, great fuel efficiency and a decent driving experience.

The Tepee comes with a choice of 4 engines, 2 of which are petrol and the rest diesel. The smallest petrol unit is a 1.4 litre with 74 bhp and a more powerful 1.6 litre with 110 bhp. In the diesel range there is a 1.9 litre with 70 bhp and a 2.0 litre with 89 bhp. None if these engines are made for fast driving, they are flexible engines that propel the Tepee along even with a full load.

For a van derived car the Peugeot Partner Tepee is surprising great fun to drive. Due to its height and soft suspension there is a lot of body roll though, so make sure you’re buckled in tight! If you are planning a family trip over the next holidays then I would highly recommend using a Peugeot van rental company to hire the Tepee and see how good it is for yourself.

The Defender Replacement

The Land Rover Defender has been with us since 1983, it is a rugged off roader produced by the British car maker to take on all types of terrain.  The origins of the Defender go as far back as 1948, but the One Ten and Ninety models were the first modern Defender derivative models. The Defender has not changed a lot in its years of production; it is still available as a 3 or 5 door station wagon, a 2 door single cab pickup and a 4 dour double cab pickup.  

The Defender has become a firm favourite with urban drivers and farmers, the Defender is a full on off roader and can handle most road conditions. The British Army, Police and Ambulance service also use the Defender. On the inside the ruggedness of the Defender means there are no creature comforts, such as electric windows, air conditioning or even floor mats. 

A new Defender has been rumoured for a few years now which as many die hard Defender enthusiasts in uproar! Fortunately Land Rover has announced that the Defender will definitely stay in production until 2017. Many replacements have been represented by Land Rover, at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show the DC100 was on show.

Land Rover’s Global Brand Director, John Edwards said the company would be liaising with current and potential owners to help finalise the details for the new Defender. John understands that the Defender is lived around the world for its simplicity and wants to make sure that any replacement is well received.

The best compact executive car

The best compact executive car

When it comes to executive driving the BMW 3 Series is right up there, since its introduction in 1975 it has been the market leader in the compact executive sector. 36 years on after it was first launched and it is still a very popular car, in fact last month it was the most searched for car in the UK. The 3 Series has become BMW’s bestselling model globally, it accounts for 30% of all BMW sales. 

The fifth generation 3 Series (the E90) is the current model, it was launched in 2005 and is available as a coupe, convertible, saloon and estate (touring). The convertible model however is now its own design and no longer shares parts with the saloon. The convertible is longer and narrower with 2+2 seating arrangement.

One of the elements that have made the 3 Series so popular is the number of engine options available. The current model has a total 12 engine options ranging from a 114 bhp 1.6 litre diesel to a 3.5 twin turbo. The most popular engine options are the 2.0 litre diesel engines and the 1.8 litre petrol engines.

The BMW 3 Series is the sharpest car to drive in its class; it has excellent body control and plenty of grip to make it a joy to drive around corners. Being a BMW it is very reliable and efficient, it also holds its value very well making it ideal for fleet operators. 

The 2012 3 Series has been unveiled and will go on sale in February next year, saloon, estate, coupe and convertible models will be available. The new 3 Series is expected to be powered by a new range of aluminium four-cylinder petrol engines ranging from 135 to 245 bhp.

Honda battling through

It’s has been a tough year for Honda - it’s been a tough year for all in the automotive industry. Japanese car makers such as Honda and Toyota had a very difficult start to the year when the Tsunami and earth quakes halted production in Japan – this created a back log in the supply chain for cars and their components.

As well as the natural disaster, Honda did not have any new models to shout about this year, so their brand presence has been quite low. Half way through the year Honda announced the new Honda Civic, which will go on sale early next year. This helped Honda gain some much needed news column space. Honda had to halt sales of the Civic in the UK and some other European countries as it did not meet Euro 5 regulations.

The Honda Civic is built in the UK and is a very popular model here, making it a very important car for Honda UK. Demo models will be going out to Honda dealers next month to help promote it. Unfortunately the new car has been hit by a further set back, more natural disasters! The floods in Thailand have meant that there have been delays in the production and delivery of several small components leading to a 50% cut in production at Honda’s Swindon factory.

Despite all the negatives the UK managing Director for Honda Dave Hodgetts is happy with where Honda UK is now going. October was a very positive month, with supply almost returning to something like normal, Honda UK had its best month for some time taking a 3.6% share of the total market.

Saab shows off fuel efficiency credentials

Saab shows off fuel efficiency credentials

With all the uncertainty around Saab you would forgive the PR department for keeping it low key, but sometimes, something’s are too good not to shout about. While the powers be were scratching their heads at Saab trying to work out how to raise the needed finances the PR team sent a Saab 9-5 to take part at the 2011 MPG marathon.

Saab entered a 2.0 litre turbo powered petrol model to participate at the marathon. All participants of the marathon were required to travel around a 370 miles route that takes all road conditions into consideration. The marathon highlights how man and machine can work together to lower fuel and CO2 emissions.

Motoring journalist Iain Robertson was accompanied by navigator, Robert Marshall in the Saab 9-5. They managed to achieve 43.81 miles to the gallon, which is a 27.35% improvement on the stated official figures. Iain Robertson was keen to emphasise that he did not drive out of the norm to achieve these fantastic figures, he said, "We employed neither 'tricks' nor 'cheats' to prove the immense potential of the car's engine. In other words, we relied on the Saab's engine technology to cut fuel usage and its superior amount of torque, at remarkably low engine speeds, to achieve the improved figure.”

Saab recommends to get the most fuel out of a car you should avoid harsh acceleration, and reach the required cruising speed without the use of the car's cruise control. Saab is always at the cutting edge of technology to ensure all models, including the highly-powered petrol turbo models, can return good fuel figures.

The C-Zero, can it be a hero?

The Citroen C-Zero is a full plug in hybrid car with 5 doors and four seats. It uses a single permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on the rear axle with a power output of 47 kW. The small electric car uses a single-speed reduction gear transmission and has a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Designed for city and urban driving the C-Zero has a top speed of just 80 MPH.

The C-Zero is a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which was launched just before the Citroen equivalent. The partnership between Mitsubishi Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen has resulted in the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Citroen C Zero and the Peugeot iOn. All three cars use the exact same drive train with minor cosmetic changes to distinguish them from one another.

The Citroen C-Zero has been received well by the media and consumers, many large firms have shown their backing of electric cars and purchased a C-Zero. Many of these are local authorities who have a responsibility to lower their carbon foot print as well as fuel bills.

The guys at the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) have opted to pilot the C-Zero in a car pool scheme; it will be driven primarily by the social work team. The Scottish Government's Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme has provided a grant which has paid for the three Citroen C-Zero models as well as the installation of a network of public access charging points across the central Borders region.

The C-Zero is eligible for the government’s Electric Vehicle Grant which could save buyers £5,000 off the retail price. Plug in hybrids are also exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge.

The fastest saloon Jaguar has ever built

The fastest saloon Jaguar has ever built

Ever since TATA motors took over Jaguar we have seen a change of fortune for the prestigious British car maker. Jaguar has been going from to strength over the past few years and the introduction of the XF has certainly helped Jaguar regain consumer confidence. Earlier on this year the all new XJ was also launched and had everyone fascinated.

The new Jaguar XJ is a huge move away from the conventional XJ look with the twin headlights and long front and rear. The 2011 model has kept some elements of the old XJ – the long bonnet and dominant front grill. 

The XF has become a very popular car amongst executive saloon drivers, giving the BMW 3 Series a bit of a scare. The face lifted XF launched in September is looking to take the XF even closer to its more established rivals.

The XJ sits in a higher segment, competing with the S Class and other full size premium luxury cars. The new XJ has been received well by both motoring journalist and consumers. In order to make the XJ appealing Jaguar has introduced a new Sport Pack for the XJ.

The Sport Pack for the XJ consists of new 20 inch 'Venom' alloy wheels – red painted brake callipers – aerodynamic styling to the front and rear plus optional sport seats for the front and the rear. The radiator grill has a gloss black mesh finish with the same treatment applied to the lower air opening and side vents.

The aerodynamic enhancement of the Sport Pack now allows the supercharged XJ models to be offered with the extra XJ Speed Pack, which raises the limited top speed from 155mph to 174mph, turning the supercharged XJ model into the fastest saloon Jaguar has ever built!

Land Rover in India

You may have noticed a change in fortune for Jaguar Land Rover since the takeover by Tata Motors of India. Tata motors have injected some much needed cash and enthusiasm into the British brand to make it profitable once again. Jaguar Land Rover now boats its most comprehensive line-up of all time.

Earlier on this year Jaguar Land Rover had announced that it would not be shutting down one of the UK plants, which was a massive relief. Then, earlier on this month the company was able to offer even better news, it will be opening another plant in the UK near Wolverhampton. The new plant is predicted to create a further 750 new jobs.

Amidst the positive news for the UK we may have forgotten the expansion Jaguar Land Rover has experienced in India. In May of this year Jaguar Land Rover opened its first car plant in India. The new plant is in Pune in the Maharashta region. The plant in Pune is responsible for producing the Land Rover Freelander 2, supplied in Complete Knock Down form from Jaguar Land Rover's manufacturing plant in the UK.

Dr Ralf Speth the Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover said, "Jaguar Land Rover is delighted to have officially opened our first assembly facility in India. We are excited about the prospect of assembling cars in Pune for the Indian market where we have achieved significant growth since we opened our first showroom in 2009. It is a great time to be expanding our operation in India due to the increasing demand for luxury products and the strength of the Indian economy."

The day when Indians can go into a car dealership and buy an Indian built Land Rover or Jaguar is here, it is very much like us Brits taking our Land Rover for a Range Rover MOT in Salisbury.

Best Value 4x4 of 2010

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a medium sized crossover type Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) built by Hyundai since 2007. The Santa Fe is seen as a good value SUV that offers great practicality, standard kit and reliability. It is more popular in America than it is here in the UK, but things appear to be changing and the uptake of it here is increasing.

The UK model comes with a 2.2 litre diesel power plant and pushes out 194 bhp, which is a fair bit more than most of its competitors. The Santa Fe comes with 311lb ft of torque too providing it with 2500kg towing limit. UK models are available with a six speed manual or an automatic gearbox. 

Handling wise it’s no sports car, due to its large bulky size it can be a handful but even then body roll is not as bad as you would expect. Through country roads and rough terrain the Santa Fe cannot be faulted and does exactly what is expected. 

With the UK facing harsh winters is makes sense for families to buy one of these as back up models of transport or even their main one. It definitely offers great value for money, in 2010 according to the Caravan and Camping Club, What Car? and Practical Caravan magazine the Sante Fe was the 'Best Value 4x4 of the Year'.

What Car?'s Editor-in-Chief, Steve Fowler is very fond of the value SUV and said, "The Santa Fe thoroughly deserves its award as the best value 4x4. You know the Santa Fe is a good towcar after just a few miles, but it's easy to miss just how good until you consider the price.”

The best used Luxury and Executive car

The Jaguar XF was introduced in 2008; it replaced the S and X Type models. The XF was a fresh new design from Jaguar and moved away from the traditional twin headlight design approach seen on most previous models. The XF is a true British car as it is designed at Jaguar’s Headquarters in Coventry and then built at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham.

Currently the XF is available with a choice of three engines, a 5.0 litre petrol V8, a 3.0 litre V6 petrol and a 2.2 litre diesel. The V8 has 296 bhp, the V6 has 235 bhp and the diesel has 237 bhp. The XF is only available with an automatic transmission with paddle shift levers on the steering wheel. Being a luxury car the XF’s ride is very comfortable; it is firm at slow speeds but perfect at higher speeds. The handling is near perfect with adequate feedback and enough weight to feel in control. 

The original XF models have been around for 3-4 years now so there are some great second hand examples out there. If you’re looking for a used luxury or premium car then the XF has to be on top of your shopping list. It has just won a couple of awards at the 2011 What Car Used Car of the Year Awards.

The XF was voted the best “used luxury car” and the best “used executive car”. The editor in Chief of What Car? Chas Hallet said, "The Jaguar XF's combination of sharp, contemporary styling, build quality, refinement, sporting agility and equipment is a winning formula, especially in the second hand market where a highly specified model can now be bought for less than £20,000."

The Vauxhall Zafira gets bigger

The current model of the Vauxhall Zafira has been around since 2004, it is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). In other parts of Europe the Zafira is sold under the Opel brand, it is only in the UK that it is sold as a Vauxhall. Vauxhall as a whole is Britain’s 2^nd bestselling brand, the Zafira has proved to be very popular here and in 2006 it was the tenth bestselling model. 

The Zafira comes with quite a few engine choices, petrol and diesel.  The petrol range starts off with a 1.6 litre Twinport that has 104 bhp and a 1.6 litre VVT that has 113 bhp. Then you have the 1.8 litre with 138 bhp, a 2.2 VVT with 148. There are two 2.0 litre turbo engines with either 197 or 237 bhp. The diesel range consists of a 1.7 litre CDTi with either 108 or 123 bhp, the 1.8 litre CDTi is available with two power output options, 148 and 118 bhp.

The Zafira became a firm favourite with families because of its flexibility, practicality reliability and good looks. It is also a good driver’s car, for an MPV it handles very well and the steering is accurate. But, to provide such a good drive Vauxhall has had to make the ride a bit firm, meaning sometimes it can be a bit much.

At this year’s Geneva and Frankfurt Motor Show Opel and Vauxhall unveiled the third generation Zafira. The third generation Zafira is slightly larger than the current model, therefore to keep all customers happy Vauxhall will be selling both models concurrently. The new Zafira is due to go on sale from the early part of 2012.

The entry level Merc

The entry level Merc

Mercedes – Benz introduced the A Class in 1997, ever since then it has been the entry level model for the German brand. Up until 1997 the C Class was the “baby Merc”, now we also have the B Class which sits between the A and C Class. The A class has a front engine – front wheel drive set-up which is not the norm for Mercedes – Benz, but nor were 5 door hatchbacks for them either!

The A class introduced many new technologies for Mercedes – Benz, including the “Sandwich” frontal-impact absorption system. In the event of a serious frontal accident the engine and gearbox of the A Class slide underneath the front of the car – avoiding cabin penetration. 

In 2004 Mercedes-Benz introduced the second generation A class, which is the current model. This new model is once again packed with innovative technologies not seen in many cars, for example the front airbags are adaptive with two-stage gas generators operating according to the severity of accident. 

The A class comes with a choice of four engines, 2 petrol and 2 diesels. The smallest petrol unit is a 1.6 litre with 94 bhp, the other is a 1.8 litre with 114 bhp. In the diesel range there is the 108 bhp 1.8 litre and a smaller 1.6 litre. Due to the light weight of the A Class even the smallest petrol engine seems adequate enough to propel it along.

Earlier on this year Mercedes – Benz unveiled the A Class Concept which is rumoured to be very close to the production ready model. It is a very modern looking car with sharp lines and an aggressive look. It has been touring the country and visiting shopping centres to gauge consumer reaction.

Another Range Rover Vogue Kahn edition

The Land Rover Range Rover is a British built 4x4. The Range Rover pioneered the luxury 4x4 market, model such as the BMW X5 and Audi Q7 followed the Range Rover. The Range Rover has become very popular because as well as being a luxury vehicle it is also a full on off-roader, unlike the other SUV models which are mere “soft roaders”.

The current model has been in production since 2002, it was designed during the BMW era hence it was meant to take the BMW 7 Series engines.  The electronics in the Range Rover are actually taken from the 5 series BMW. 

In 2005 Land Rover gave the Range Rover a refresh and introduced a supercharged model that uses the Jaguar 4.2 litre V8, which produces 394 bhp. In 2006 Ford replaced the V8 BMW engines in the rest of the range with Ford units instead. 

The most recent change came in 2010 when Land Rover added an updated front grille along with a multicamera vision system, bumpers, LED head/tail lights, two new engines and a whole host of new technology features. 

Since its introduction the Range Rover has been a key car for Alfzal Kahn and his team at Kahn Projects. They love taking a standard Range Rover Vogue and tastefully customising it. This year they have launched the new Kahn Bali Blue RS450 Range Rover Vogue. The guys At Kahn projects have added a new aerodynamic styling package including a new front and rear bumper and side skirt enhancing the silhouette and performance of the Range Rover.

If you want to drive a premium luxury car and be unique then an Afzal Kahn designed Range Rover is the way to go!!

Lexus’ entry level luxury hatchback

The Lexus CT200h was launched in 2011; it is Lexus’ luxury hatchback with a hybrid drivetrain. Lexus has used Kylie Minogue on TV adverts for the new model, describing it has a quiet car. Like the Toyota Prius and Auris the CT200h uses a 1.8 litre VVT-i four-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor, both engines combine to produce 136 bhp. 

The CT200h can run on petrol or battery power alone or a combination of both. The batteries are recharged using recovered energy that is exerted as the car slows down. Similar to the KERs system used on Formula 1 Cars. 

The CT 200h is competing with the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3 and by being a hybrid it already offers something better than the others. The 1 Series is renowned for its handling characteristics and the Audi for its refinement, therefore the Lexus tries to find a balance between the two. The Ct200h is a great looking car and offers excellent fuel efficiency. 

This month Lexus has launched the new CT200h F-Sport, it has a bolder design and still encompasses the great fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions of the CT 200h. Exterior changes include 17 inch dark-finish alloys, a larger rear spoiler, flared side skirts, a mesh front grille and new aero-styled bumpers front and rear.

On the interior the sporty model come with the addition of cruise control, F-Sport black leather upholstery, heated front seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment, auto-dimming (electrochromatic) electrically retractable door mirrors and a rear parking camera