The Micra’s reinvention into an electric, French runabout is as bold as it is attractive. It’s an excellent all-rounder and well proven as one thanks to the Renault 5 being around almost a year now. Right now, it’s a delightfully fresh newcomer for Japanese small cars, considering the segment is starting to feature one too many in need of revitalising. It leaves the Micra as even more of a standout.
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While it doesn’t weigh in as the cheapest, the RAV4 remains one of the best choices for family motoring. Reliability and efficiency remain hand in hand, the
equipment is heaped on, and it’s mostly a doddle to drive. Once again, Toyota’s no-brainer, common sense car making works its magic.
The 4 doesn’t possess a world of change
from the 5, but those wanting more room
and a more commanding view of the road
will have an idea which one makes more
sense for them. As a family car, it does a
better job, while sticking to that classical
styling that could charm almost anyone.
Kia’s answer to the still slowly forming
electric hatchback market means serious
business, seeing how much thought has
been put in. To get on par with this kind
of comfort, space and value is a big
undertaking, leaving the EV4 a difficult
gauntlet for a rival car to face.
its high bar status in the market.
Suzuki is a sort of unsung hero as a master
in cheap and cheerful motoring, so it’s both interesting and pleasing to see its take on electric runabouts. The eVitara is
straightforward; what you see is what you
get. A rugged workhorse with a sense of
good value that’s difficult to ignore.
What it may lack in driving joy, the K4
makes up for with value for money quality
and a practical nature. For uniqueness,
there is nothing else like it on the roads
(well, aside from other Kias) and there is an
overall appeal about it that can’t be
overlooked.
All the blueprints of Mercedes’ near
future make their debut in the CLA, and
so far, it’s a nice change of tactics. There
is something to admire about its
engineering and competitiveness,
whether that be the clever AI assistance
or the tidy handling. It’s even possible
the eventual release of the hybrid
version will only further cement its high
bar status in the market
I do think this is a significant upgrade on the original T-Roc. It looks better, brings a better sense of having been well built, and the drive is too comfy to ignore. A few more buttons and switches would make it even better than having to sift through the screen, but it’s still a good, new start after the brand’s recent experiments with almost
none at all. Given how the old car also sold like it was on a black Friday sale, expect this one to follow suit, though in this case, I can easily see why.
Aside from the extra drivetrains, it’s a
steady evolution for the new C5 Aircross, where it builds on what worked and sticks to the script as the cheap and cheerful alternative for large family car markets. It knows the job it’s getting and so knows how to do it with that classically unique Citroën style.
No, I haven’t got amnesia and reviewed the new Duster again. This is simply the Duster’s big brother, the whimsically named Bigster, and you can easily see the resemblance. Those same chunky features and arrow-shaped lights are all there, albeit with larger dimensions and a much longer tail.
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