Badge engineering at its finest; the only difference between this Fiat Talento and the Renault Trafic it’s based on is the badge. Should still you buy one?Continue Reading

Fiat 500X 2015 620x277

The motor industry can be a funny place at times. Six months ago I popped over to Italy to drive a new Fiat but spent more time in presentations or on a bus than I did behind the wheel of their car. Cynically, I did immediately wonder why that was.Continue Reading

Fiat Panda 100HP 2006 620x277

For anyone who cares about driving there should always be an appeal to basic, light, low power transport marketed toward fun. The kind of thing that harks back to the original Mini but is increasingly hard to find in these days of driving aids and airbags to cater for everyContinue Reading

Fiat Panda Cross 2014 620x277

The Fiat Panda 4×4 just wasn’t man enough for Fiat, so they’ve taken the car, bolted on all manner of plastic bits to the bodywork and beefed up its off-road credentials. The result is the Panda Cross, a car that can apparently tackle any road you throw at it. ThatContinue Reading

Fiat Panda Cross 2014 620x277

This is Fiat’s brand new Panda Cross, revealed here ahead of its debut at Geneva’s motor show next month. Based on chunky Panda 4X4, the Cross offers combines torque-on-demand all-wheel drive with electronic stability control, an electronic locking differential and hill descent control to create something with enough high techContinue Reading

Alfa Romeo MiTo 2013 665x297

As Alfa Romeo’s first supermini since the demise of the Alfasud in 1989, the MiTo has a lot to achieve. Not only does it have to bring people to the struggling brand but when they get there it has to be every bit as good as its Mini and FiatContinue Reading

The Citroen DS3 has been a firm favourite with UK buyers since its launch, outselling every other car in the French firms range. With the first rays of sunshine finally beaming down on the country, Citroen has now taken the obvious step of slicing the roof off.Continue Reading

Vauxhall is not a brand name that appears on most urban fashionistas radar, the cars of choice generally being limited to the Fiat 500 and Mini, with perhaps the Audi A1 thrown in for those doing well. That could change if the new Vauxhall Adam can capture hearts in theContinue Reading

A few weeks ago I wrote a column suggesting there won’t be a better time to buy or lease a new car for some time. In there I mentioned the fact that there are some European manufacturers struggling to balance supply, demand and profits, with at least one at death’sContinue Reading

The most economical cars on the road, at least according to official economy figures, are almost invariably diesel powered superminis. However, petrol engines are getting ever more efficient, cost less to fuel and quieter, and they’re generally less bad for the environment in an urban setting than diesels. So whatContinue Reading