Vauxhall Astra GTC 1.6 Turbo SRi 180PS 3dr petrol Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Vauxhall Astra GTC 1-6 Turbo SRi 180PS 3dr Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond - front photo 2

Don’t go thinking that this is just a 5-door Astra with two of its doors lopped off and a few sporty decorations bolted on here and there. The GTC is markedly different from the hatch whose name it shares. How did this range-topping 1.6 turbo SRi version stack up? A Chip Off The Old Block? Not that it would be a bad thing to be associated with the 5-door Astra hatchback, as it is itself a cracking car in many ways – Read The Rest...

2012 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi KX-2 AWD Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Kia Sportage 2-0 CRDi KX-2 AWD road test review - side 01

What have the original Audi TT and the new Kia Sportage got in common? Answer – they share the same designer, Peter Schreyer, whose modern and stylish work is considerably responsible for Kia’s current surge in popularity. We’ve recently given the Kia Optima a massive thumbs-up and quite liked the Kia Soul. This time it’s the Kia Sportage which gets a going-over. If you can picture what the original Kia Sportage looks like, saying that the new one is leaps and bounds Read The Rest...

2012 Kia Soul Hunter 1.6 GDi Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Kia Soul Hunter 1-6 GDi petrol - Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond - side 06

Believe it or not, the funky little Kia Soul is now four years old, so Kia decided to give it a bit of a fettle and tweak for 2012. Living with a Kia Soul in ‘Hunter’ spec from their ‘Originals’ range for a week, was Oliver able to see why the Soul has become such a common sight on Britain’s roads? Looking somewhat like a cross between an alien, a robot and an insect from the front, with a boxy and utilitarian but Read The Rest...

Kia Optima 1.7 CRDi 2 Tech Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

KIA Optima 1-7 CRDI 2 Tech – Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond - front tiger nose grille - lead

As the Kia Press Office and many on Twitter are aware, a Kia Optima was responsible for making me miss my motorway junction one night! As a car reviewer and motor industry chap, my eyes always hone in on newly-launched or rare cars. So you guessed it, when I spotted this, my first Optima out in the wild, I followed behind it to weigh up its rear looks, inadvertently missing my junction in the process. I knew I had a Read The Rest...

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ330 SST GSR Road Test Review by Oliver Hammond

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Evo X FQ330 SST GSR road test review by Oliver Hammond Simons Car Spots - front flat-on

Steeped in an immense amount of rally and motorsport pedigree and much revered by car fans of all ages, the Mitsubishi Evo has now been around for a few years in this, its tenth incarnation. After living with ‘the beast’ for a week, did our Oliver feel the Evo X (in ‘middle of the range’ 324bhp form) still feels fresh and holds its chin up high? I knew that the Mitsubishi Evo X FQ330 SST GSR I was testing for the Read The Rest...