2011 Citroën DS4 – “Curiously good crossover”

The DS4 is the second model to be launched under Citroën's premium ‘DS’ brand after the DS3, which goes head to head with the MINI Cooper.   Price: £18,150 - £24,000 Available: Now The DS4 is known, in the trade, as a ‘crossover’.   A “what over?!” I hear you say - a crossover which is a blend of different car styles in one. Think of the DS4 as a car that combines the sleek roofline of a coupe (traditionally a two-door car) with Read The Rest...

2011 Fiat 500 TwinAir – “Frugal Fun”

The Fiat 500 TwinAir is the definition of ‘down-sizing’, the current buzz word within the car industry. This is where you take a smaller engine unit in order to provide better fuel economy and emission figures and then bolt on a turbo or super charger to give the power of a bigger engine. Not only can you have your cake and eat it, you can order second helpings too as you have better fuel economy without sacrificing power Price: Read The Rest...

Ford Fiesta Metal 1.6 TiVCT Duratec 134PS Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Ford Fiesta Metal 1-6 TiVCT Duratec 134PS Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond - Gargrave 04

Think Ford and chances are that a lot of you may well think Fiesta. Since its launch in 1976 the Fiesta has enjoyed a fantastically successful life – and still does to this day. The year 1980 heralded the first ‘sport version’ of the Fiesta, in the form of the 1.3L Supersport, which paved the way for the eponymous XR2. My first Fiesta memories are of the third generation model in the late 80s/early 90s, on family holidays in the Read The Rest...

Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0 TFSI Hatch Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

2012-06-16 Skoda Octavia vRS TFSI petrol 200PS hatch road test review by Oliver Hammond SimonsCarSpots - front grile photo

In rather conspicuous but nevertheless gorgeous Storm Blue metallic paint and adorned with a sizeable boot spoiler, a gaping, aggressive front grille and chunky bumpers, shiny red brake callipers, sporty 18” Neptune alloy wheels and a few tasteful vRS badges dotted around the place, the Škoda Octavia vRS hatch certainly makes for an attention-grabbing package. But does it drive as well as it looks and how does it fare in general terms? Czech me out! Having reviewed a whole stream of white-coloured Read The Rest...

Peugeot 3008 1.6 HDi 112 FAP Sportium Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Peugeot 3008 HDi 112 FAP Sportium road test review by Oliver Hammond SimonsCarSpots - front 34 photo lead

A 5am start ahead of a 3-hour drive from Oldham in Lancashire down to Millbrook in Bedfordshire for the 2012 SMMT Test Day certainly provided a good opportunity to assess this limited edition Sportium version of Peugeot’s 3008 crossover. Read on to find out how this 1.6-litre diesel model fared on our Millbrook-bound road trip encompassing the windy, undulating Woodhead Pass and the good ol’ M1. The car that wants to be everything With the Nissan Qashqai and the surge of other Read The Rest...