Volkswagen ID.5 Review

The sleeker Volkswagen ID.5 makes it a compelling style choice over its ID.4 brethren. The ID.5 is essentially the same as the ID.4 under the skin, but with a more elegant, sloping coupe-like roofline. You’ll find similar stylistic upgrades in the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Skoda Enyaq Coupe. People do like this bodystyle, and it shows in sales numbers. Everyone wants their car to have some curb appeal after all. But, ...

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Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce Review

The Alfa Romeo Tonale is the Italian marque’s first step towards electrification, kicking off a new breed of strangely sensible Alfas. Forget about Quadrifoglio, outrageous leather, and performance for a second, and try to think of something sensible from the Alfa Romeo brand… … nothing comes to mind? I don’t blame you. Alfa Romeo has been a rebel for decades, marching to the beat of its own drum and producing cars that exemplify ...

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Hyundai Ioniq 6 Prestige 53kWh Review

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 now comes with a more palatable 53kWh Cat A COE variant, tuned perfectly for Singapore. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 took the world by storm when it was first launched, subsequently bagging awards left and right from folks around the globe.  The streamliner seemed to have struck a sweet spot amongst journalists and customers alike. And Hyundai Singapore, wanting to expand its lineup of products, have since launched a ...

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Smart #1 Brabus Review

Yes, that's right, it’s called the “Hashtag One”. And this Smart has Brabus in its name too. Interesting. Smart, for most of us, means the ForTwo, that tiny urban two-seater that was supposed to revolutionise city mobility. It had a quirky charm, and some people thought it represented the future.  Unfortunately, not enough people thought that way, and it never really became the success story Mercedes hoped for. Yet, for reasons best ...

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Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line Facelift Review

The Volkswagen T-Cross may look dated today, but its do-anything spirit still charms drivers. If you’re scratching your head wondering what’s new with this facelift, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The updates are subtle, but Volkswagen insists they’re there. Launched back in 2019, the T-Cross is essentially a beefed-up Polo; built on the same MQB platform, sharing engines, and hailing from the same Spanish factory. It’s a cheerful little crossover that managed to ...

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Volkswagen ID.5 GTX Review – Groovy Coupe

 If you can’t quite wrap your head around the blobby look of the ID.4 GTX, then you might be enticed by the sleeker Volkswagen ID.5 GTX. It’s essentially the same vehicle under the skin, but with a more elegant, sloping coupe-like roofline that adds an extra touch of flair. The ID.5 seems like the stylish upgrade to the ID.4, akin to choosing a Smeg refrigerator. Of course, this approach isn’t unique to ...

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Range Rover PHEV Review – Silent Splendor

The new Range Rover PHEV makes you feel like a king on the roads, and also be “friendlier” to nature. Land Rover has always been a brand with a dual personality. On one hand, it’s the go-to for adventurers needing a vehicle capable of conquering the wildest terrains - think scaling rocky cliffs, fording rivers, or crossing the Sahara. On the other hand, it’s often spotted in the driveways of football stars ...

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MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Review – Quirky Meets Electric

EV reviews are becoming an unhealthy habit for me. As much as I try to only write about non-EVs (hey, I'm an old-school car nut!), the fact is that most new cars these days are all-electric. Speaking of all-electric, MINI's first-ever SUV EV is here. The all-electric Countryman SE is a clear sign that MINI is serious about its move into the electric age. If you're a longtime MINI fan, you'll ...

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Volkswagen ID.4 GTX Review – Missed The Mark

While the regular Volkswagen ID.4 hits the mark as a family carrier, the GTX variant isn't as thrilling as it should be. The ID.4 GTX is essentially Volkswagen's first electric performance car and introduces the company's new 'GTX' badge. Think of it as the electric equivalent of the iconic 'GTI'. No pressure, then. But, unfortunately, I’m not sure if it can live up to the fame that previous GTI models celebrated in ...

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2024 Triumph Tiger 1200 Review – Rippin’ ‘n Roarin’

Triumph's Tiger 1200 represents a compelling proposition in the adventure bike segment. Believe it or not, Triumph's Tiger line of motorcycles has been around since the 1930s, built back then under Triumph Engineering, and then later by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd from 1993 onwards. From the present-day company's rally-pedigree Tiger 900 in 1993 to various models in the interim, we come to the most brawny adventure bike in Triumph's line-up, the Tiger 1200, ...

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Volkswagen ID.4 Review – Family Pod

Volkswagen finally has an official EV presence in Singapore with the new ID.4. And it’s been spearheading Volkswagen’s leap into cleaner vehicles. That doesn’t just mean zero emissions during ownership; VW says it has made the ID.4 carbon neutral all the way until you’ve driven it off the lot, by using renewable energy during the manufacturing process. That’s all nice to hear, but is it even worth buying in the first place? Considering ...

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Mercedes-AMG SL43 Review – 4-Cylinders Too Few?

Does a four-cylinder engine in the Mercedes-AMG SL43 make for a less inspiring sibling to its larger V8 brethren? Maybe. The SL nameplate from Mercedes-Benz still holds its own even to this day. Its bloodline started with the original 300SL in 1952, a post-war dogfighter that captivated eyes the world over with its signature gullwing doors and radical engineering.  Its original ethos was being ‘sporty’ and ‘light’, two desirable traits that have ...

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2024 Hyundai Santa Fe TurboHybrid Review – Square One

This Santa Fe TurboHybrid represents a radical visual departure from versions past. Kudos to Hyundai for daring to make a brazen and blunt-looking sports utility vehicle (SUV), which contrasts well with other softer, rounder SUVs in its segment, with its chief price competitor being the Mazda CX-60. The previous generation Hyundai Santa Fe was muscular, but noticeably rounder. This new Santa Fe TurboHybrid is still muscular, albeit boxy and butch-looking, and we ...

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2024 Harley-Davidson Pan America Special Review – Ace Of Spades

Pan America finally reviewed after three years, and boy was it worth the wait. 'Twas 2021 when this writer first wrote about the Harley-Davidson Pan America at its Singapore launch. With only a Class 2A motorcycle licence in hand, I had to tearfully observe from the sidelines as the others at the event got to tear around Sarimbun Camp and Bahtera Track on the Class 2 licence-requiring brand new adventure bike ...

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Omoda E5 Review – Bang For Your Buck

The Omoda E5 presents itself as an attractive bargain for those looking for a bang-for-your-buck EV with loads of standard features and tech. It seems that new EVs are launching faster than we can quantify nowadays, and this is a new entry from a new brand here in Singapore - the Omoda E5. This is your standard small-to-mid-size electric crossover, and it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. Not that it is ...

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