May 8, 2013

We have before us the fourth generation of the Spanish Seat Toledo. A name launched in 1991 and after varied forms and types of body it arrived today at the fourth generation and the five-door liftback body type. Basically, today’s model reflects the original DNA. Because in 1991, when Seat launched Toledo, the model was a compact sedan in two volumes and a half tailgate based on the Golf II platform, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Then the rounded sedan launched in 1999, the model that most of us still associate it with the name of the model. The third generation was the strangest one, a sort of MPV born in the era of Walter da Silva, probably the Toledo model with the lowest success. Now, Toledo is again a compact sedan, a Spanish cousin for Skoda Rapid, the model with which shares almost everything: platform, engine, assembly plant. And even the profile. Seat Toledo 1.6 TDI Style Engine / Transmission 3.5/5 The 1,598 cc engine, the new workhorse of the Volkswagen group, is...

Apr 21, 2013

Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI BlueEfficiency Review. Mercedes-Benz has managed to completely transform the A-Class model. When the A-Klasse debuted on market in 1997, it was not the most attractive German product, and the model was not a champion even at dynamics since it shortly after its launch received modifications to the suspension and ESP as standard to pass the Moose Test. But it was a model conceived differently, imagined as a kind of premium city MPV and liked by a few customers outside Western Europe. Since then many years have passed, and the A-Class has gone through two generations. We will report impressions of the meeting with the third generation of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class , which marks a dramatic change in this range and should cause a storm among competitors as Mercedes has brought a competitive and attractive model to the market. In addition to the compelling design, the new A-Class stands out through its steering and suspension, along with fuel economy offered by the...

Apr 17, 2013

BMW 1 Series 120d xDrive 2.0-liter M package Review. The premium compacts segment is a genuine battlefield where auto world’s giants compete with the best creations available that they can offer. With a compact premium, a car manufacturer has a difficult task: to squeeze, as much as possible, the brand’s spirit in a small model, to equip it with technologies and materials worthy of a top builder and make it drivable as a model of such a brand. BMW 1 Series has been at the second generation for a while. It attempts to correct the main complaints of the former, such as space for rear passengers. The Germans have done this without departing too much from the rest of the range in terms of style and without much loss of identity of the first generation model. This time, we’ve tested BMW 1 Series 120d version, equipped with the xDrive all-wheel drive system and M accessory package. Through the model tested, BMW put almost all the cards on the table and the hand that this...

Apr 14, 2013

Volkswagen Golf 7 2.0 TDI Highline BlueMotion Tech Review. Volkswagen has managed to make from Golf more than a simple model in the compact segment. They managed to turn it into a symbol easily recognizable even by those who are not passionate about cars. And they did so through repetition, practice and conservatism. This is because Golf has never revolutionized its segment, but has evolved steadily over the seven generations refining itself and “fidelising” many customers. Unlike other models in this class, the new Volkswagen Golf 7 has a well-established identity, not trying to prove anything. All it has to do is to not disappoint. Volkswagen Golf 7 2.0 TDI Highline BlueMotion Tech Full Review Volkswagen Golf 7 Engine / Transmission 4/5 Volkswagen Golf has a wide range of engines both petrol and diesel. The key word is downsize: engine capacity is becoming smaller and the turbo system is an almost constant presence in the engine range. But Volkswagen still preserves in...

Mar 31, 2013

2013 Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 163 HP Titanium 4WD Review. Ford replaced two models in its range, the European Kuga and the American Escape with a single one: the second generation Kuga. More specifically, Ford Kuga 2 came as a replacement for Escape in the United States and the Kuga’s replacement on the European market. The connections with the old Ford Escape in the U.S. are almost nonexistent, the 2013 Ford Kuga is rather the descendent of the European model of the car manufacturer from Michigan. The C1 platform forms the basis of 2013 Ford Kuga, which is common with the one used by C-MAX, Grand C-Max and Focus. The design, however, is a mix between what we find in the old Kuga and the new Focus, Ford Kuga 2 having a more “American” look, although this is not necessarily a bad thing. 2013 Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 163CP Titanium 4WD Full Review 2013 Ford Kuga Engine / Transmission 4/5 The car tested was powered by a 163 horsepower 2.0 TDCi. The diesel unit comes in the...

Mar 12, 2013

2013 Dacia Logan 0.9 TCe 90HP Laureate Review. Eight years have passed since Dacia launched Logan. It was the first sentence of a success story. However, Logan wasn’t received with open arms by everyone when it appeared. Whether it was about the media, customers, Internet users or  foreigners, the sedan did not have a very large fan club at the time of launch. Logan went on, however, received two new body versions, a diesel version, a facelift hatchback brother and so on. Logan took every criticism on and the model has become stronger, although it was never weak. Let’s skip fast-forward to 2012. Dacia presented the new generation Logan and Sandero. We’ve tested the 2013 Dacia Logan to experience the result of eight years of evolution. All the changes implemented with the new generation of Logan turned into a surprise for anyone that tries it, no matter what his first impression was about the first generation. 2013 Dacia Logan 0.9 TCe 90HP Laureate Full Review 2013 Dacia...