BMW’s 1-Series has endured a chequered history partly derived from the manufacturer’s insistence on burdening a compact hatchback with rear wheel drive. The purpose, I presume, was to retain traditional BMW handling characteristics but the consequences came in the form of poor space efficiency and, to my…

MY first 48 hours or so with this Renault were especially taxing thanks in the main to this particular vehicle being equipped with a clutch that was determined not to engage until the last millimetres of pedal travel had been used up. I mention this at the outset…

IN the automotive world, it stands to reason that if there’s a trend developing to the benefit of sales, then that trend should be exploited. Ford has just done that by jacking up the diminutive Figo and adding a few macho bits and pieces, about which more in…

  BMW’s 3-Series has been the compact executive class standard-bearer for BMW for around three decades but in this latest iteration, the term “compact” is getting a little stretched if you’ll excuse the pun. (more…)