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Suzuki Across – First Drive Review
The cost of developing an all-new car grows ever higher, so much so that we are beginning to see more collaborations between manufacturers. It makes a lot of sense and let’s be honest, most buyers are not hugely concerned about what lies under the skin of their shiny new wheels.…
Škoda’s Flagship Gets An Update – It’s Superb!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
As the flagship model of the Škoda range, the Superb has always showcased the brand’s most advanced technologies in a package that offers unrivalled space in its class. 2019 saw the arrival of a significantly updated model and a little late in the day I recently enjoyed a week behind the…
5:00 PM 5th January 2021
Christmas Wheels - Volvo XC60 On Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The second generation of Volvo’s premium mid-size SUV has been on sale for a couple of years now and despite an array of talented opposition, it still competes for class honours. The Germans lead the charge with the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, whilst home grown offerings from Jaguar…
9:57 AM 4th January 2021
Highways England – Helping You This Christmas
Highways England traffic officers will be working 24/7 as usual to help people who get into difficulty.
Just over 96 per cent of motorways and major A roads will be roadworks-free Follow Government travel advice and check your vehicle ahead of any festive journeys Highways England traffic officers will help keep you moving If you’re travelling this Christmas,…
9:07 PM 14th December 2020
Kona Electric From Hyundai – A Real World Test
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
We are beginning to see a raft of new electric cars hitting the market with plenty more due over the next few years. In order to be prepared, I have just had a Rolec home charger fitted by local agents, the aptly named Plug it in Group. The efficient installation…
12:01 PM 9th December 2020
Road To Zero In Sight As Green Number Plates Introduced On UK Roads
Green number plates introduced, raising awareness of cleaner vehicles. green number plates get the green light as the UK accelerates towards a zero-emission future initiative could unlock cheaper parking and free entry into zero-emission zones, helping pave the way for cleaner air in our…
4:57 PM 8th December 2020
A Ghostly Tale – Time Spent With Rolls-Royce’s New Saloon
I have been lucky enough over the years to spend some time behind the wheel of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Always a delight, the memories never fade. There was little wrong with the old model but that has not stopped the good folk at Goodwood from going back to the drawing board…
4:25 PM 28th November 2020
My Morgan Adventure
I have been lucky enough to drive an enormous variety of vehicles in my long and varied driving career. However, I had never driven a Morgan. I rather carelessly ignored kind invitations to visit the factory and test drive a car or two. How remiss of me! The situation was remedied…
11:28 AM 28th November 2020
Arctic Truck On Manoeuvres – Unstoppable!
The pickup truck market in the UK is changing. Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn its pricy X-Class from sale and for the time being the Volkswagen Amarok has also disappeared. The latter will return as a joint venture with Ford. Mitsubishi has recently launched its new L200 (review coming soon) and Isuzu’s new…
12:11 PM 21st November 2020
New Cycle Path Could Link Mottram To Trans Pennine Trail
The Trans Pennine Trail at the Woodhead Tunnels
A new cycle path could soon connect Mottram in Longdendale to the coast-to-coast Trans Pennine Trail. Highways England is developing plans for a new mile-long combined footpath and cycleway, as part of a £228 million bypass to improve journeys between Manchester and Sheffield. The cycle path would run alongside a new single…
12:56 PM 20th November 2020
£1bn A66 Northern Trans-pennine Update Goes ‘Live’
As part of today’s update the A66 project team has produced a new video providing a What’s Next report (above) and a second video (below) explaining the steps Highways England has to follow in terms of planning, designing and securing permission before any construction can start
An update on progress with £1 billion plans to dual the remaining sections of the vital A66 trans-Pennine route between the M6 in Cumbria and A1(M) in North Yorkshire has been published today (Monday 16 November). The Highways England update includes new videos, brochures and access to web chats –…
12:29 PM 16th November 2020
Overnight Carriageway Closure To Set Up Start Of M56 Upgrade
Drivers are being reminded that a section of the M56 will be closed overnight from 10pm on Friday (13 November). The closure – along the westbound carriageway from junction 5 at Manchester Airport to junction 7 at Bowdon – is being used by Highways England to start installing a contraflow lanes…
12:50 PM 13th November 2020
Is Your Car Ready For Winter? Time To Check
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
With the country in lockdown once again, many of us have plenty of time on our hands. Time then to give your car the once over, ahead of the winter period. Many of my tips require no expertise, just a little time and if you are not sure, then garages…
11:23 AM 11th November 2020
£150 Million Windy Harbour To Skippool Project Timetable Revealed
Work on the £150 million Windy Harbour to Skippool project will step up a gear over the next few months and drivers and residents are encouraged to go online to stay up to date with the latest on the scheme. Highways England, responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the country’s motorways…
10:57 AM 10th November 2020
‘What’s Next?’ A66 Communities Update On £1 Billion Dualling Progress
Designers, surveyors and engineers have been carrying out specialist work as a £1 billion project to transform Trans-Pennine journeys takes shape. Next week, communities along the route of the A66 will be able to find out the latest update on the project, when new videos, web chats and brochures about the…
11:46 AM 9th November 2020
Construction Milestone For M56 Upgrade
The main construction work on the region’s latest motorway upgrade, along the M56 in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, will get underway this month. The four-mile section of motorway between junction 6 at Hale and junction 8 at Bowdon is one of the busiest in the North West – carrying 100,000 vehicles…
11:40 AM 7th November 2020
Lexus Luxury In A Smaller Package – UX On Test
I am not sure that many of us are ready for a fully electric car. Lack of efficient and available public charging is just one of the main issues especially in more rural locations. No doubt this will change in time, but for now a EV adopter needs to have…
9:56 AM 30th October 2020
Breath Tests At Lowest Level For 18 Years – AA
Just 285,380 tests conducted in 2019 compared to 481,561 in 2002 More than 2.2 million speeding fines issued Fines for not wearing a seatbelt up 84.3% Figures released by the Home Office this week* show that the number of roadside breath tests are at their lowest point…
12:20 PM 29th October 2020
Facelifted F-TYPE Under The Spotlight
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Photos by Will Larmour
Back in 2013, when the world seemed a better place, Jaguar launched the F-TYPE, a spiritual successor for the iconic E-TYPE. I have been lucky enough to drive the car in various guises from V6 Coupe to a frankly rather scary SVR. All have provided thrills aplenty, and thankfully no…
3:04 PM 28th October 2020
MINI Electric – A Fully Charged First Drive Review
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The modern MINI has been a common sight on our roads for almost twenty years and it has been my pleasure to own a couple and drive many more. What is it? I first saw the MINI Electric in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show three years ago. Quite why…
8:00 AM 22nd October 2020
Kia Sorento – UK First Drive Review
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
A chance to drive a newly launched car from Kia was not to be missed, so I made the long trek south in order to be one of the first to get behind the wheel. What is it? The Sorento is Kia’s range-topping SUV and sits alongside the Stonic, Niro and Sportage.…
2:36 AM 16th October 2020
Audi’s S5 Coupe Gets A Makeover
The original Audi S5 used to come with a powerful V8 engine as standard. My neighbour had one for many years and it was a delight to hear the warble from the engine as he headed for home. Performance was brisk, fuel economy poor. A V6 petrol motor was next to…
6:15 PM 13th October 2020
The Sparky New Electric 208 From Peugeot On Test
Peugeot has undergone a transformation in recent years and now produces some excellent cars. Not only do they look good, but surveys prove that they are reliable too. Sales were slightly up in 2019 against a gloomy backdrop, with many manufactures experiencing a marked decline in cars sold in the…
9:24 AM 13th October 2020
Safer Journeys And Better Information For Drivers On Trans-pennine Route
Work to provide safer and more dependable journeys on an important trans-Pennine route linking Sheffield and Manchester is moving into a new phase. Highways England has finished installing eight new drainage pipes across the A628 carriageway at a depth of over two meters to reduce the chance of flooding. Attention is…
3:30 PM 9th October 2020
Mazda CX-30 – A Week Behind The Wheel
Mazda is already well served with SUVs, the CX-3 and CX-5 models having been with us for quite some time. Last year the CX-30 joined the line-up, slotting in nicely between the two. With little size difference between the models, there is a question mark as to the CX-30’s relevance.…
2:09 AM 5th October 2020
New Gritters Take To The Road
New state of the art Highways England gritter
October 1 marks start of the Highways England winter season Patrols ready across the country Ninety-three new state of the art gritters will be patrolling England’s motorways and major A roads this winter as part of a multi-million investment to help keep traffic moving in severe weather. The new gritters will…
7:00 AM 1st October 2020
On The Road With The New Porsche Panamera
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Many of the UK car launches take place in the south of England, so it was a pleasant surprise to be invited to spend a day with the good folk at Porsche on home turf. The roads would be good, the weather forecast was excellent and hey, it was a…
8:30 AM 29th September 2020
Renault’s Charge To Full Electrification
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Like most manufacturers, Renault is introducing an increasing number of hybrid cars, some with the ability to plug in. Renault is better placed than most to do this as it has offered a variety of fully electric cars for some time. It has been ahead of the game. So, what is…
10:02 AM 26th September 2020
Ferrari Portofino Driven – Stupendo!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
As a small boy I was obsessed with cars. I could name them all and the highlight of my year was my annual trip to the Earls Court Motor Show. All the cars excited me, though of course some more than others. The Ferrari stand always drew a crowd and…
7:49 AM 24th September 2020
Suzuki’s Ignis Gets A Makeover
Suzuki has a reputation for making excellent small cars. I have driven most, and they definitely punch above their weight in terms of affordability, equipment levels and driving characteristics. I was lucky enough to travel to Rome to drive the current Ignis when it was launched in January 2017 and I…
8:29 AM 23rd September 2020
New Footbridge Touches Down In Wigan
The moment a new footbridge touched down over a busy motorway junction near Wigan has been revealed in new timelapse footage. Highways England’s contractors worked through the night last month to install the new 30-metre-long bridge over the A577 slip road at Orrell Interchange, where the M6 connects to the M58. The…
2:29 PM 16th September 2020
Czech Mate - New Family-Friendly Skoda Octavia Driven
The Octavia has been at the heart of the Skoda brand for more than six decades and has established itself as a key pillar of the brand’s ongoing success in the UK. 2020 marks the arrival of an all-new fourth-generation model. The all-new Octavia range launched with two body styles, two…
8:35 AM 16th September 2020
Porsche Macan – Still The One To Beat
Let us turn the clock back. Porsche, renowned maker of desirable sports cars wanted to expand. Much to many aficionados’ consternation, jumping on the SUV bandwagon was seen to be the way forward. But what a smart move this was. Cayenne was the first to be launched, with the smaller…
9:09 AM 9th September 2020
The Wait Is Over – New Land Rover Defender Driven
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
How do you reinvent an icon? This is something that has vexed the good folk at Land Rover for many a year. The much-loved old version had clearly reached the end of its life, though good examples will be sought after for ever and a day. A vehicle with global appeal…
8:56 PM 1st September 2020
Stinger – Time To Catch Up With Kia’s Range-topper
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
Kia is South Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles, now producing over 1.5 million vehicles in 13 plants in 8 different countries. Rewind a decade or two and the cars on offer were undoubtedly worthy, affordable and just a bit dull. How times have changed as the current range encompasses stylish…
10:45 AM 30th August 2020
Flower Power To Help Car Journeys This Bank Holiday
A rich variety of flowers on the verge to increase biodiversity along England’s busiest roads
Flower power could help ease young passengers’ travel boredom this bank holiday. Highways England has reminded travellers of its ‘staycation’ road trip game card, designed to keep young passengers busy on long journeys. Roadsides are busy green corridors, filled with all sorts of plants and animals and children are being encouraged to…
3:11 PM 28th August 2020
Time To Get Whizzy With A Twizy!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
A recent Renault drive day presented the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Renault’s funky Twizy microcar. It has been on sale in the UK for quite a number of years and yet it remains a rare sight, which is a shame especially as electric cars are rapidly gaining in popularity. Let’s…
11:54 AM 28th August 2020
Nine Major North West Upgrades In £27 Billion Roads Investment For England
Highways England has unveiled details of £27.4 billion plans for investment in the strategic road network which connects the country.  The company will deliver £14 billion of projects - supporting 64,000 jobs and increasing the quality, capacity and safety of the motorways and major A roads that have helped…
7:01 PM 22nd August 2020
Kia Soul EV First Drive Review
The movement towards fully electric cars continues apace and last year I spent time with one of the best – the Kia e-Niro. Here was an electric family car with an easy 250-mile range, more than enough for most drivers. What is it? On test here is the Kia Soul EV,…
11:47 AM 17th August 2020
Volkswagen Golf – The 8th Generation On Test
It seems hard to believe that it is 45 years since the first Golf rolled off the production line, with some 35 million examples built. A top seller in Europe, UK buyers have always warmly embraced the Golf and therefore the importance of an all-new version cannot be underestimated. The…
9:01 AM 12th August 2020
The Focus Of My Attention – Sporty ST On Test
Ford has a history of making hot hatches that offer high performance thrills, coupled with affordable pricing and practicality. The concept still works today and allows the enthusiastic driver to own a car that will be suitable for family duties one minute and excite on a favourite piece of B-road…
6:03 PM 11th August 2020
Want To Go On A Road Trip With Your Dog?
photo credit Driving with Dogs
Try some pawsitively brilliant walks near Highways England routes Drivers planning a post lockdown trip with their dogs are being urged to take a break and enjoy one of the many outstanding walks that can be found just off England’s motorways and major A roads this summer. After the restrictions of…
4:08 PM 6th August 2020
Gocycle – That’s Just What I Did!
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
I was a keen cyclist in my early teens and spent many a happy hour in the saddle. I journeyed to school and back for many years, a 6-mile round trip and enjoyed many a leisure ride. It was all about personal freedom and it meant I could steer clear…
9:05 AM 5th August 2020
Drivers Advised To Plan Journeys Ahead Of M621 Weekend Work
Drivers planning to travel on the M621 are being advised that an exit off the route will be closed for eight weekends, starting this Saturday (1 August). The exit slip road at junction 7 will be shut for barrier work from 6am until 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. The work, which…
2:22 AM 1st August 2020
Electric Dreams - Honda e First Drive
Andy Harris
Motoring and Property Editor
The new Honda e has been a while in the making. First seen as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, the showroom-ready model was unveiled last September at Frankfurt and much to everyone’s delight it had remained unchanged and was bristling with cool features. It attracted…
2:17 AM 27th July 2020
Highways England Say Check Before You Travel This Summer
Routes to the South West are expected to be busy this summer as the region tops the list of ‘staycation’ destinations. As the school year ends and more people holiday in the UK, Highways England is urging motorists to check before travelling. Nearly 20 per cent of breakdowns on Highways England roads…
10:58 AM 25th July 2020
Thrill’s Aplenty With The Lotus Exige
The email came in from Lotus. Would I like to join them at the motoring mecca known as Caffeine and Machine for a little sportscar fun? Having been locked away for the last few months, my hasty acceptance duly followed. All too soon I was heading south to Stratford Upon Avon,…
8:16 AM 23rd July 2020
Lockdown Wheels - Land Rover Discovery Sport On Test
I was lucky enough to watch the first Land Rover Discovery Sport roll off the production line at Halewood way back in 2014. It is now the company’s best-selling model. Last year saw an all-new version hit the showrooms, using Land Rover’s premium transverse architecture, the aim being to deliver greater…
8:54 AM 22nd July 2020
Touareg Tales – VW’s Super SUV On Test
The third generation of Volkswagen’s Touareg has been on sale for a couple of years and it sits at the top of company’s range of SUVs. It is a comprehensive collection too comprising T-Cross, T-Roc, Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace. Plenty to choose from… What is it? In order to broaden the Touareg’s…
5:25 PM 13th July 2020
Miles And Miles Of Safety Improvements On A64
Work to improve the pedestrian area at Crambeck is making good progress
As staycations become the popular choice of holiday this summer, drivers using 55-mile coastal route between Bramham and Scarborough will spot a number of major changes as work to create better and safer journeys makes significant progress. Highways England is carrying out work on many sections of the A64 as part…
11:05 AM 11th July 2020
Getting Back Behind The Wheel? Here’s Some Useful Advice
Simple steps to stay safe on the roads
Drivers getting back behind the wheel are being urged to carry out safety checks on their vehicles before setting off on their journeys this summer. Some cars have been rarely used during lockdown, so it’s essential to make sure they’re fit for purpose. Drivers may also feel out of practice if…
11:20 AM 7th July 2020
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