Opel Grandland – Sensible Return To Form

Does the Opel Grandland, the big brother of the Opel SUV line-up, got what it takes to edge out the competition?  Opel has not been a mainstream brand on most buyers' lists for a while now, thanks to stiff SUV competition and astronomical COE prices nuking sales for most non-premium car brands. But, don't count them out just yet. With parent company Stellantis's backing, we have started to see a resurgence in ...

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Maserati Grecale – Orientato Al Futuro

The Maserati Grecale is living proof that Italian flair and strict emissions can co-exist in a future-focused harmonious symphony.  It’s beginning to feel like the world has forgotten how to make anything but SUVs these days, and Maserati is actually fairly late to the game with its contender. Yes, they did launch the Levante back in 2016, but lacklustre sales didn’t make it a case-closed preposition. So back to the drawing board ...

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Skoda Octavia 1.0 e-Tec – Size Doesn’t Always Matter

With petrol prices rocking to new highs, fuel efficiency now plays a very big part in how you can save some spare cash in your wallet. It’s a tall order to expect an internal combustion (ICE) car to be economical, decently agile, and practical. The Japanese have more or less been pretty strong in this department over the past decade or so with economical cars, but you get the feeling that ...

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BMW M3 Touring 3.0 Competition – Brute Force Wagon

For the most part, Audi has dominated the performance estate space in the last decade. (Updated 23 October 2023) Save for the AMG C63 or E63 Estate, you would really need help finding a wagon with lots of space and pace. Well, enter the BMW M3 Touring. The car that everyone has been waiting for. A compact yet spacious, practical wagon with so much grip and grunt (more than 500 bhp), your family ...

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Urban Palette’d: Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid Active

Throw an eye-catching splash of colour onto your Yaris Cross Hybrid. In case you hadn't noticed by now, this Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid is pink. BRIGHT pink. I don't care that the colour is actually called Cherry Blossom. To my eyes, it's Steven Tyler-satiating PINK. A number of female friends in a Telegram group chat decided to tease heavily when a picture of this compact crossover was sent over, with one ...

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Jeep Grand Cherokee – Downsized Detroit Fighter

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a smorgasbord of American engineering, resulting in a premium SUV that fits surprisingly well on our roads. SUVs have seen a huge market shift in recent years. What was once a tool that can traverse harsh terrains without breaking a sweat has now transformed into city-dwelling 'Chelsea Tractors' that disintegrate at the first sign of anything other than tarmac. There is still a rare bunch of SUVs ...

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Why The Porsche 911 Is Revered As The Quintessential Sports Car

Spend the best bit of 70-odd years perfecting a rear-engine, rear-drive sports car format that shouldn’t work as well as it does, and out comes out a true masterpiece. Give automotive fans an opportunity to speak, and they are always eager to debate on which sports cars they think are the greatest and most attractive. Of course, with a seemingly endless number of cars that have been produced over the better ...

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Porsche Cayenne – High-Riding Performance

The Porsche Cayenne needs no introduction, being the first to rock up to the performance SUV scene 20 years ago. And now, more than 2 decades later, the Cayenne is now in its third generation. Hard to imagine now, but when the car was introduced to the world back in 2002, it went down like a cup of cold sick. No one had anticipated such a big and lumbering performance vehicle ...

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2023 Honda Freed – Freed-om To Choose

The Honda Freed is an all-in-one compact family package for seven. Every time I approach a mini-MPV, regardless of make and model, I can't help but have one crucial thought in my head. Can this thing fit seven people in comfort? Being an owner of a full-sized MPV, I always have my doubts about smaller MPVs and their ability to deliver on their promises. Unfortunately, my scepticism is valid. For example, the ...

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Toyota GR86 – This One’s For The Fans

The Toyota GR86 is less of a sports car and more of a love letter to car and driving enthusiasts. The automotive industry as we know it is now at an impasse. Gone are the days when screaming internal combustion engines were commonplace, now being silenced, literally, by the soulless whirrs of new-fangled electric technology. Electric cars can be extremely quick and efficient, but you just cannot replicate the mechanical symphony of ...

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