First Drives

Defend the modern automobile and fawn over certain cutting-edge gas-powered vehicles if you will, but in your heart you know that we need to change the way we view the future of transport. The hybrid car was a first step toward reducing our reliance on gas, while the electric car …

Often it’s AMG’s accountants and product planners that look at a business model and tell the company’s enthusiastic engineers that although the cars on their drawing boards are spectacular, they must adhere to budgets and sales forecasts, and therefore have to make concessions to the final design. The resulting AMG-branded …

Start it up and the engine’s purr immediately makes it clear that this is no conventional sport utility vehicle. Your first impression will be confirmed as soon as you take it out on the road, as the abundant engine torque accelerates the vehicle in a constant and linear fashion and …

Commercial-grade trucks are no longer the forgotten cousins of the pickup world, relegated to austere work-only cabins and over-stiff platforms designed with utility and not comfort in mind. The 2014 Ram Heavy Duty line-up is a perfect example of how these trucks have benefited from a level of competition that …

Ever since it was first introduced in 2002, the CTS has been breathing fresh energy into the Cadillac brand, rejuvenating its image and – more importantly – its clientele. There’s no doubt that the CTS can take credit for the brand’s recent success. The first two generations of this sedan …

With their white liveries and limited retail appeal, commercial cargo vans like the 2014 Ram Promaster are almost invisible to the majority of vehicle buyers, blending into the urban landscape or worksite like so many high-capacity chameleons. The commercial utility market is an important one, however, for each of the …

With the RS7, the quattro GmbH engineers created what is perhaps the ultimate sleeper. The uninitiated see it as nothing more than a nice A7, but those in the know see it as a luxury car that offers performances worthy of a supercar thanks to its 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine …

In its the glory days, the Durango had a pick-up truck chassis and was considered an out-and-out full-size SUV. Back then, we also had the Aspen – Chrysler’s version of the same vehicle – which was even sold in a hybrid version. If you find one of those relics, bring …

After ten years of loyal service, two generations and 3.5 million units sold worldwide, the popular Mazda3 was due for a major change. And change it has! The brand new 3 still retains a small visual link to the past, and that’s not a bad thing. The lines are tighter …

Nothing lasts forever, especially in the automotive industry. Brands often wander from their original path, sometimes with success (BMW’s turn from builder of sport-first luxury cars to a more diverse range of softer models) but occasionally to their detriment (Lincoln’s almost complete loss of identity). Segments, too, see their leaders …