The Latest Automotive Trends - A Deep Dive into the Industry's Shifts

Some fascinating stuff this week. The automotive industry is witnessing rapid changes. Mostly driven by advancements in technology, regulatory pressures, and changed market dynamics. With a strong emphasis on electric and hybrid vehicle developments, the industry is navigating a complex landscape of evolving consumer preferences and stringent environmental regulations. 

Read More

Volkswagen T-Roc: A Comprehensive Review

 

Welcome to our in-depth review of the Volkswagen T-Roc, a compact SUV that has been turning heads since its market release. Whether you're considering purchasing one or just want to learn more about this stylish vehicle, we've got the details covered. 

In this review you will discover the T-Roc's design and specifications, its performance and handling, features and technologies that add convenience and safety, and how it stands compared to its peers. So, buckle up and get ready to explore the world of the Volkswagen T-Roc.

Design & Specifications

The T-Roc's bold and dynamic design is a breath of fresh air, thanks to its sporty appearance, muscular lines, and distinctive styling elements like the striking LED headlights and taillights. Inside, the cabin is spacious, with plenty of room for passengers and luggage, and an intuitively designed dashboard. The ergonomically placed controls make it easy to find your way around, while the high-quality materials add a touch of sophistication.

In terms of dimensions, the T-Roc measures 4234 mm in length, 1819 mm in width, and 1573 mm in height. The vehicle boasts a generous boot capacity of 445 litres, which can be further expanded to 1290 litres by folding down the rear seats.

Performance & Handling

Driving the Volkswagen T-Roc is a pleasurable experience, mainly due to its refined and capable engines, available in both petrol and diesel options. The vehicle can be equipped with the highly efficient 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, or you can choose the more powerful 1.5-litre TSI or 2.0-litre TDI engines for added performance.

The T-Roc's precise handling, along with its suspension system, ensures a smooth and comfortable ride over various road surfaces. The Volkswagen SUV also benefits from an array of driver assistance systems, such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist with City Emergency Braking, and Lane Assist, to make your journey safer and more enjoyable.

Features & Technologies

The Volkswagen T-Roc comes packed with a range of innovative features and technologies designed to enhance convenience, safety, and entertainment on board. The infotainment system offers a large 8-inch touchscreen display, integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless smartphone connectivity, and boasts an optional premium Beats sound system to elevate your listening experience.

Some of the other notable features available in the T-Roc include Climatronic dual-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, rear-view camera, and Keyless Access with push-button start. With the Volkswagen T-Roc, you'll also notice advanced safety features like Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Traffic Alert that help in preventing accidents and ensuring a secure ride.

Competitor Models

Within the compact SUV market, the Volkswagen T-Roc finds itself in stiff competition against rivals such as the Peugeot 2008, SEAT Arona, and Renault Captur. However, the T-Roc manages to hold its own thanks to its lively design, plethora of features, and impressive build quality.

While other competitors may offer slightly lower starting prices or additional equipment options, the T-Roc's overall package remains an attractive proposition to potential buyers, especially considering the brand's reputation for reliability and excellent driving dynamics.

Pricing and Availability

Volkswagen T-Roc is available in several trim options, including S, SE, Design, SEL, and R-Line. The entry-level T-Roc S starts at around £21,485 and covers basic necessities, while the R-Line trim, starting at £31,020, boasts sportier styling and higher levels of equipment.

The T-Roc is readily available at Volkswagen dealerships, and potential buyers can choose from a variety of colour options, finishes, and optional extras to personalise their vehicle to suit their preferences and requirements.

Best Buy

The Volkswagen T-Roc has undoubtedly made an impact in the compact SUV market with its eye-catching design, excellent performance and handling, and a host of convenience and safety features. 

Although the competition is fierce, the T-Roc stands out as a compelling option for those in search of a stylish and versatile vehicle. We hope this comprehensive review has shed light on the T-Roc's appeal and provided valuable information to consider when choosing your next vehicle.

Read More

The Best Motoring Themed Christmas Presents

Struggling for gift ideas this Christmas? Here are a selection of motoring related presents for all different types of car enthusiasts with a range of budgets from modest to incredibly generous.

Read More

Audi A3 E-tron

Priced from £30,000, the A3 E-tron is Audi’s first plug-in hybrid that makes its debut of a special customer test drive opportunity in November.

The innovative A3 e-tron delivers strong performance, with a top speed of 138mph and accelerating to 62mph in 7.6 seconds. On battery power alone, the Audi A3 e-tron’s top speed is limited to 81mph and can cover 31 miles without the need for the petrol engine.

Based on the five-door A3 Sportback, A3 e-tron can seat five people and accommodate 62 gallons of luggage.

The A3 e-tron it’s a step into the future of Audi’s plug-in hybrids. According to A3 e-tron project leader Jens van Eikels, Audi’s next generation model line will be provided with an e-tron plug-in hybrid.

Read More

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

The 707hp Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is the world’s most powerful and fastest (204mph) four-door car. It is powered by a supercharged 6.2 litre HEMI V8 engine that produces a whopping 707hp and 650lb ft of torque, and it accelerates from 0-100mph in less than 13 seconds.

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is not only brute force, but it is also technologically advanced and most capable four-door muscle car in America.

Remarkable as it sounds, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat puts all of the established German musclecars into the shade. The BMW M5, Audi RS 6 and even the 600hp M5 30 Jahre, look positively puny in comparison to Charger SRT Hellcat.

And the price is pretty accessible too, because it costs around £43,750. Quite a bargain for the world’s most powerful car, if you ask me.

Read More

The Best, Worst and Weirdest Car Gadgets

In-car gadgets are nothing new but current products on the market range from the highly practical to downright bizarre.  Here is a selection of new gizmos available:

Garmin Dash Cam 20

For people who drive for a living, it could be very helpful to be able to record their journeys especially when things go wrong.
This dash board mounted HD video camera records footage of the road while plugged in to a power source.  It records the date, time and location of the journey and even has an automatic incident detector that tells the camera to automatically save the current, last and next recordings to provide a record of exact what happened.
Garmin's model has GPS and a 2.3inch LCD display screen.

Parrot Asteroid Tablet

This Bluetooth hands free entertainment and communication system connects to a wide range of smartphones, has options for different satellite navigation software and allows you to access your music through iTunes, Spotify and other systems.  It has a steering wheel control hub and an option to search your music by saying the names of artists, tracks or albums out loud.  Very useful for people who endanger themselves and other drives while scrolling through tracks or attempting to change CDs while the car is moving.

Rolls Royce Starlight Heading

Rolls Royce have installed some very pretty but almost completely useless fibre optic lights in some models of their cars.  They are visible though perforated leather on the roof and the brightness is adjustable.

Sirius Back Seat TV

To keep children occupied on long journeys, this back seat system comes as an optional extra with some new cars and can also be installed after purchase.  It streams kid friendly TV channels such as Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and The Disney Channel into the car through an antennae on the roof. Picture quality is not quite HD but reviewers have said it is adequate for distracting restless children.

Night Vision for Cars

Different car manufacturers have different systems for bringing night vision into their cars.  Mercedes use an infrared light projected onto the road and shown on a monitor to allow drivers to spot hazards in the dark. BMW use a system that detects heat signatures to show up people and animals on the road.  It looks pretty cool and rather spooky too.

Auto-Mixing Travel Mug

This self-stirring travel mug is perfect for preparing diet drinks, sports drinks, baby formula etc. on the move.  It runs on batteries and has a spill-resistant drink through lid.  How many times a person would actually use it is not an easy question to answer.

Drivemocion Car LED Sign

Disgruntled or particularly happy drivers can now express their emotions with LED smilies.  Different versions of the device come with different options.  One model even allows drivers to make their own faces or messages.  The road rage potential is enormous.

Dual Heating Travel Mug

These mugs keep drinks warm by plugging into either a USB port on a computer or a 12-volt DC socket in a car.  Useful for long journeys or for students writing very long essays.

Read More

Top 10 UK's Best Selling Cars: May 2014

Last month a total of 194,032 new cars were registered. The figures released by the new car registration shows that the UK market has increased for a record 27 consecutive months.

At the top spot, once again, the Ford Fiesta leads the way with 9,450 registrations, followed by Volkswagen Golf. In third place is Vauxhall Corsa, moving the Ford Focus down to fourth place, tailed by Vauxhall Astra.

Have a look at the below gallery to see the top 10 bestselling cars in May 2014.

1. Ford Focus 

Sales: 9,450

 2. Volkswagen Golf

Sales: 7,134

3. Vauxhall Corsa

Sales: 6,536

4. Ford Focus

 Sales: 5,824

5. Vauxhall Astra

Sales: 5,035

6. Nissan Qashqai

Sales: 4,144

7. Audi A3

Sales: 3,889

8. Volkswagen Polo

Sales: 3,607

9. Fiat 500

Sales: 2,896

10. Vauxhall Mokka

Sales: 2,801

Read More

Tyre Wear

Nothing will wear out your tyres quicker than uneven wear.  Not only will it cost you money to replace tyres before you should, uneven wear can be an indication that something else is wrong with your vehicle.

The most common cause of uneven wear is poor wheel alignment.  Hitting curbs, going over speed bumps and driving through pot holes can all contribute to your wheel not being properly aligned.  When you hit a curb, for example, the wheel gets pushed out of alignment with the one on the other side.  This means that they are not quite pointing the same way resulting in one tyre being dragged slightly along the road.  While driving, you can detect poor wheel alignment because the steering wheel will slightly pull to one side or the other.  Not only will this wear the tyre out very quickly on one side, it is also bad for fuel consumption.  Fortunately, this is a common problem that is easily fixed with a few adjustments.

Another problem that causes uneven tyre wear is over/under inflation.  This usually occurs when people find that their tyres keep going down and they keep pumping them up.  If you tyre is going down then it has a hole in it.  Getting a puncture repaired is much cheaper than buying a new tyre.  Running your tyres under-inflated will not only wear out the edges of the tyre on the outside, it can cause damage to the lining of the tyre inside.  Damaged lining is fatal to tyres.  They will need replacing.  Similarly, running them over-inflated causes them to wear right down the middle of the tread, making them illegal and thus, will need to be replaced.

Random patchy looking tyre wear can be due to faulty suspension.  It can also be due to wheel problems such as buckling.  Either way, these problems can be dangerous as well as costly if not sorted out.

Therefore, check your tyres when ever you think of it and stop these problems before they become a big expensive issue.

Read More

Could Kevin Magnussen Be the New Wonderboy of F1?

There's no doubt about it – McLaren did not have a very good campaign in the last F1 season.  But with the introduction of a promising new F1 driver McLaren’s fortunes could be just about to change for the better.  If the first race of the season is anything to go by, McLaren may even have a shot of winning the Championship, and if this dream turns into reality then McLaren will probably have their new driver Kevin Magnussen to thank.

The lacklustre Sergio Perez of last season has been replaced by Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen is a 21-year-old Danish driver with a racing pedigree and a clear skill for driving – evident from an early age.  He participated in many racing cups and championships as a youngster, though it was in 2012 that he began to draw some serious attention – not least from the sporting director of McLaren – and near the end of 2013 it was confirmed that Magnussen would be racing for McLaren starting in the 2014 season.

He is only young, but already Kevin Magnussen is proving to be a talented racing driver.  During testing in Bahrain he made the fastest lap – 1.5 seconds faster than second best –and he achieved third place in his debut race in Melbourne (raised to 2^nd place afterwards with the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo).  His driving was aggressive and determined, and yet he displayed the sort of maturity you would expect from any top veteran driver. 

Melbourne was the first time McLaren has seen a driver on the podium since Jenson Button won the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and thanks to the disqualification Button also achieved a podium place, making not one but two drivers on the podium.  It is only the first step of the Championship, and there may have been a certain amount of luck involved, but McLaren can certainly be proud of their initial lead over rivals Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams and Ferrari.  Added to the strong performance of Magnussen and Button, the McLaren team also appeared to make all the right choices and out-wit the other teams. 

McLaren has faced engineering problems over the last few seasons, and although their latest motoring rendition is not the fastest car on the track, the strength and consistency of their first race gives them a firm foundation to build on this season.  But for now it is all eyes on Kevin Magnussen.

Read More

2014 Car of The Year Award goes to: Peugeot 308

With 307 points from the 58 jury members, Peugeot 308 has won the European Car of Year 2014 award.

Peugeot 308 is a stylish 5-door hatchback, and fought off competition from the likes of the tech tour de force Mercedes S-class and also bested BMW’s i3 EV.

Have a look at the seven finalists that have been shortlisted from a 32-strong crop of nominees. The Car of the Year finalists has been selected by 59 motoring journalists from 23 countries.

BMW i3

Citroen C4 Picasso

Mazda 3

Mercedes S Class

Tesla Model S

Skoda Octavia vRS

Peugeot 308

Do you agree with their decision? Let me know your comments below.

Read More