VerdictWhichever colour you choose, the Caddy Cargo is a great small van that offers excellent long-distance comfort. While an electric van makes sense around town, the Caddy Cargo proves there’s life in diesel yet.
Mileage: 10,765
Economy: 49mph
According to Wikipedia, white-van man is “typically perceived as a selfish, inconsiderate driver that is often aggressive”. I can’t say it’s a stereotype that I’ve come across that often, though, and it’s certainly not one I’ve tried to live up to.
One of the benefits of reviewing vans is that manufacturers often spec up their demonstrators with kit that punters can add when they make their purchase, and one highlight of the Volkswagen Caddy Cargo is the wide variety of colours that are on offer. Okay, so it’s not quite as wide-ranging as the sample brochure in my hands above, but the swatches I’m holding are a pretty fair representation of what’s available.
While Candy White, Cherry Red and Pure Grey are the no-cost options, our van’s Costa Azul blue metallic is one of eight shades available for £518 (ex.VAT). There’s a more subtle Starlight Blue, the usual Reflex Silver plus the slightly more subdued Indium Grey and Mojave Beige, while Fortana Red, Copper Bronze and Golden Green offer hues at the vivid end of the spectrum.
More reviews In-depth reviewsRoad testsAll this variety got me thinking –how many buyers actually choose to upgrade their vans beyond the standard white? I got in touch with VW, who told me that while fleet برچسبها :
VerdictOur family has a real love of Alfa Romeos, and – almost a quarter of a century after a 156 helped bring us together – the first signs are that my husband and I will enjoy life with the brand’s smallest SUV.
Mileage: 4,599
Economy: 38.5mpg
There is just something about Alfa Romeo; the name and romance seem to go together. Despite the marque’s reputation for unreliability, the looks win out.
My husband and I have always had a soft spot for the brand and back in 1999, when we were first dating, I specifically asked to borrow the just-launched Alfa 156 for an evening – one way to make an impression! I remember the model didn’t disappoint either, bringing a smile to both our faces.
So when I heard the next fleet car I would be getting was an Alfa Romeo, we were both genuinely excited. It certainly softened the blow of having to hand back our previous Stellantis product, because the DS 4 was so comfortable it had become a firm favourite.
Our new Alfa is the firm’s baby SUV, the Tonale, in range-topping Veloce trim with a PHEV powertrain. The line-up starts from £48,495, but the on-the-road price for our model is £52,945 – by the far the most expensive vehicle I’ve had the keys to.
More reviews Car group testsIn-depth reviewsRoad testsThe special Montreal Green paint costs £1,500, plus our car is fitted with a Leather and Harman Kardon Pack and the Winter Pack. For £2,600, these bring a 14-speaker premium sound system, leather upholstery, and he برچسبها :
VerdictThe Peugeot 408 comes across as an unorthodox, interesting and practical family car. The jury’s still out on the 1.2-litre engine in such a substantial model, but it’s usefully cheaper than plug-in alteatives.
Mileage: 1,250
Economy: 43.5mpg
The Peugeot 408 is a relative newcomer to the Auto Express fleet, but it already feels like we’re old friends. It arrived fresh from Peugeot spotlessly clean, waxed and buffed, then days later I (not quite as thoroughly groomed) took it off for a family holiday to South Wales.
We retued and were soon back into the swing of normal daily life, but as many parents retuing from a week away will recognise, the Peugeot 408 had gained some weight: around 3kg of sand strewn around the interior. Take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints, they say, but our family had seemingly managed to acquire a sizable chunk of the beach from Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula.
Cleaning out any car after a week-long trip to the beach is never much fun, but it’s even less so when every textile seems to have been laced with fine grains of sand and your only weapons are a dustpan, brush and asthmatic Black & Decker Dustbuster from the early nineties. I am just thankful that our top-spec GT version has the optional Mistral Black Nappa leather upholstery that doesn’t cling on to sand grains with the same tenacity as the lesser Alcantara or fabric trim options, or the carpets.
More reviews In-depth reviewsRoad tes برچسبها :
VerdictWe’ve been fans of the DS 4’s comfort from the start, but it has proved to be a practical hatchback, too. Some of the tech takes getting used to, but overall we’ll miss it.
Mileage: 13,264
Economy: 42.8mpg
After a brief four and a half months on our fleet, it’s time to say goodbye to the DS 4 PHEV. I’ll admit that when it first arrived, I was pretty confused, because it just didn’t seem to fit into any particular category. Its footprint is longer than many hatchbacks’, and it’s taller, but it doesn’t have the true height of an SUV. The classy styling and premium feel quickly won me over, though, and the car looks right at home in our main pic, looking across Poole Harbour to the affluent Sandbanks area of Dorset.
As I’ve reported previously, the DS 4’s interior comfort is first class, and by sticking to the company DNA of providing a relaxing and soothing ride, it has definitely worked, balancing well with the different exterior look. We’ve had no complaints on the few occasions passengers have used the rear seats, but with our children all grown up,
we haven’t really tested the DS 4’s abilities as a day-to-day family car.
More reviews Car group testsIn-depth reviewsRoad testsHowever, when we needed to move some fuiture, I wasn’t confident of fitting much in. The figures told me otherwise, and even when you factor in the 40-litre reduction in boot capacity that the PHEV suffers due to its extra tech, the boot is bigger than in premium hatchback rivals such as t برچسبها :
VerdictI’m getting along with the Cupra just great, a few initial niggles aside. But they can’t detract from what is a thoroughly capable and talented car that (despite what the Bluetooth system says) feels like a true Cupra. It’s a standalone model with its own personality that’s dazzled me with more than just its use of light.
Mileage: 1,659
Economy: 30.1mpg
Sometimes a second chance can be a brilliant opportunity. I remember the first Cupra Formentor Auto Express ran on its fleet some 18 months ago: a 1.5 TSI 150 in a lower-spec trim level. I liked it, but there was something missing for me.
As good as it looked, as nice as it was to drive and as well as it covered all the bases a family SUV needs to, it never quite wowed me. Not so with this new Formentor that’s just pulled into the office car park.
That’s not because it has more power, even though the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine’s 306bhp means the Cupra lives up to its sporty billing in terms of performance. No, this time the Cupra has grabbed my attention with its near-premium level of quality and some cool features – and on the latter point, the use of light is a big one.
More reviews Car group testsIn-depth reviewsLong-term testsRoad testsI like the LED lighting signature at the front and rear of the car. The thin strips of bright white and glowing red at either end of the Formentor give a hi-tech look. I also like the puddle lights from the door mirrors, even if I still can’t quite work out what the depiction of th برچسبها :