MG3 ON THE ROAD

 Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

What Is It?

The MG3 is a five door supermini aimed squarely at rivals such as the Ford Fiesta, VW Polo and Renault Clio. Importantly it’s the first all-new MG model (the larger MG6 combines new and old engineering) to be launched by the newly regrouped MG MOTOR UK, with the majority of the development work taking place on British soil.

First impressions of the styling are positive with an upright stance but some nice detailing. At the front neat upturned LED running lights and a racy lower valance and blackened headlights add a healthy dose of character as does the black rear diffuser with square tailpipe. We also really like the Fabia-esque floating roof with blacked out a-pillar and bulging arches with stylish black alloys. 

Currently the MG3 is only available with five doors and a petrol engine mated to a five speed manual gearbox but this could change further down the line if the new car is a success. Value-for-money is its trump card as the range kick off at just £8,399. Standard equipment is far from sparse. 

Peugeot Partner Tepee Outdoor ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

What Is It

The Partner Tepee is Peugeot’s curiously named family wagon for those who want a car with a hugely practical interior with plenty of space for five for very little cash. It sits between the smaller Bipper Tepee (which we reviewed in May 2013) and larger Expert Tepee.

In 2012 the Partner Tepee received a mid-cycle refresh which included Peugeot’s latest corporate grill, revised headlights and for the first time LED daytime running lights. There were also minor changes to equipment levels including the introduction of Peugeot’s Connect Navigation system with Bluetooth connectivity (fitted to our car).

Hardly an object of desire the Tepee makes no attempt to hide its van roots but it’s fair to say it’s far from ugly. 16 inch alloy wheels and body coloured trim certainly go some way to improving the look.

Prices start from £13,160 for a base 1.6-litre VTi in Urban trim but here we are testing the range-topping Outdoor model that features taller suspension, beefier bumpers and roof bars setting it apart from the rest of the range. Our test car is fitted with Peugeot’s tried-and-tested 1.6-litre 8v HDi diesel engine producing 92 bhp.

Peugeot RCZ HDi ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

The Peugeot RCZ needs no introduction, put simply it's one of our favourite coupes and our preferred model from the French giant. Bringing it in line with the rest of the range its now lost its striking gaping mouth grill in addition to a series of other minor changes here and there. The idea is to freshen it up as it celebrates its third birthday. We hit the road in our favourite HDi 156 variant to see if it still holds appeal.

Citroen DS3 ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

At launch Citroen's DS3 had a lot to live up to spearheading the launch of the brands new premium DS range which promised to offer buyers a previously unseen level of premium luxury missing from the companies mainstream models. Entering the hotly contested premium hatch market dominated by the hugely successful MINI and Fiat 500 the DS3 had to be very good to succeed. Since then there have been further additions to the class from Audi and Vauxhall so we hit the road in a top spec DSport equipped with PSA's peppy 1.6 THP petrol engine to find out if it still has what it takes to compete.

SEAT Ibiza 1.4 TSi FR DSG ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

Since parent company Volkswagen took the reigns at SEAT in 1990 it has strived to carve the Spanish brand a neat section of the market with products that are more daring and sporty than Skodas or Volkswagens. SEAT could be described then as the wild child of the family, perhaps the unruly teenager that likes to have far too much fun.

The Ibiza has been SEAT’s best-selling model for a very long time, few realise that its been about for nearly 30 years and is now in its fourth generation. Earlier this year the Polo-based hatch received a thorough reworking to keep it fresh in the face of increased opposition. Until the new Cupra (Cup Racing) comes along the sportiest model is the FR (Formula Racing) which as of 2012 is available in a number of body styles and power outputs. We test the most potent petrol model to find out if it’s any good.

Volkswagen Beetle Design 2.0-litre TDI DSG BRIEF ENCOUNTER

Review & Photos by Rob McSorley

It's no secret that currently retro is cool. You could be fooled into thinking that it all started with BMW's runaway success the MINI but Volkswagen’s Beetle predated it by a good few years. 

Sadly in comparison the 'new' Beetle seemed like a poor regurgitated imitation of the original Beetle. If you squinted hard enough it sure looked like a Beetle but everything else was pretty ordinary including its bland VW parts bin interior (dashboard vase aside) and so-so drive from its Golf derived underpinnings.

2012 saw the launch of this, the second generation car which promises to up the game in response to the now more crowded sector occupied by not only the MINI but Fiat's 500; not forgetting the 'anti-retro' Citroen DS3.