Isuzu D-Max Fury

The Isuzu D-Max Fury looks good, with its red colouring and black highlights, but it's too agricultural to appeal as a road car. We'd choose the new Nissan Navara, which feels much more like a modern SUV - and it's better to drive, too. The Isuzu D-Max has been around for a while now - the current model was launched in 2012. With the all-new Mitsubishi L200 and Nissan Navara being launched this year, Isuzu has added this new Fury special edition...

Infiniti Q30 2015

The Infiniti Q30 offers an alternative to the traditional premium compact hatchbacks. However, it doesn’t have the same level of quality you might expect from the German brands. This brings the price into question, as the Q30 is close to the likes of Audi’s A3 and the BMW 1 Series. It’s a good long distance cruiser with high levels of comfort but show it a corner and things are less impressive. A slightly higher driving position than most...

Porsche Macan

Porsche claims the Macan is “the sports car of the SUV segment”, and while it might be a stretch to think of a big off-roader as a sporty, dynamic car, the Macan is the best-driving 4x4 on sale today. Four-wheel drive means there’s lots of grip on offer, so it’s a strong performer no matter what the conditions, while the standard-fit seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic gearbox means it’s a beautifully relaxed car to drive. It’s expensive...

Dacia Sandero Stepway

The Dacia Sandero Stepway is designed as a rugged version of the regular Sandero hatchback. Although it has a raised ride height, it’s a great-value alternative to crossovers like the Nissan Juke and Fiat Panda Trekking. Dacia is all about low costs, and the Stepway is extremely well priced, undercutting most of its main rivals by quite a margin. It’s also very spacious, while the diesel engine is cheap to run and has a decent amount of mid-range...

Ford Ka

The Ka feels dated from behind the wheel and can’t match more modern city car rivals such as the Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii, Volkswagen up! and Hyundai i10 for refinement, low running costs or sharp handling. To be fair, Ford has given the Ka’s suspension a thorough overhaul, meaning it features sharper handling and a more controlled ride than the Fiat 500 with which it was co-developed. It’s also a fraction more refined. But...

Porsche 911 Cabriolet 2015

Like the new Carrera coupe, this 991.2-generation Porsche 911 Cabriolet is faster and more efficient than ever. It’s more usable, too, thanks to that new turbocharged engine, an improved chassis and some extra tech inside – but it’s not without its flaws. Driving a convertible sports car should be an event. It’s about the theatre of stepping behind the wheel, lowering the roof to savour the atmosphere and firing up the engine to experience...

New Toyota Prius 2015

If you can get over its styling and relatively high price, the new Prius is well worth a look for those after a spacious family car with impressive economy and tax-busting emissions. A diesel car may work out more efficient on longer motorway journeys, but if you do lots of town driving, the comfy, nippy and quiet Prius is a good companion and no longer a compromise. When the Toyota Prius first went on sale in Japan in 1997, it was a technological...

New Ford EcoSport 2015

Ford’s changes to the previously sub-standard EcoSport couldn’t have come soon enough. It’s more stylish, more comfortable and better to drive, but ultimately still falls short of contemporary rivals like the Mazda CX-3 and Renault Captur. It lacks the character of its Fiesta sibling and misses out on the interior updates benefitted by the new Mondeo. Better? Yes. Best? Not quite. To say the Ford EcoSport took a bit of a hammering from...

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe

While the Estate is our favourite version of the C 63 family, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe is a fitting range topper. It’s more than just a two-door version of the saloon - it offers a more hardcore driving experience. A fabulous engine and chassis are neatly served up under a body that shouts brute force. A UK test against the BMW M4 is needed, but on this first taste we’d say it has the measure of the BMW. We were blown away by the Mercedes-AMG...

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Kia Niro 2016

Test driving an early prototype can often be short on feedback, but the Niro gave us a good insight into the car that’s around 12 months from launch. While not especially daring in design, there’s no denying it looks quietly expensive in the metal and under the camo. The hybrid powertrain works well and the car feels good to drive. Kia could well have cracked the compact SUV hybrid segment and produced an interesting alternative to the Toyota...