Reviews

The Kia Cee'd is the car that lobs the paving slab of reality into the windscreen of preconception. It might be a straight clone of a Toyota/Ford/VW hatch, but it’s a damn good one.

A capable answer to a question nobody should be asking

A refreshing niche that ain’t a crossover, but not as sporty as billed

Solid, gimmick-free all-rounder that’s slightly less good at everything than a Golf, but cheaper for it.

A surprisingly rounded EV. Still fun to drive, and uncompromised inside, but it’s likely to be your second car

Kia improves things yet again. Refinement, styling and interior quality are nearly as good as anything out there. Nearly…

One of the best all-round performance cars ever made. Fast, forgiving, and everyday-friendly

The B-Class is now a genuine contender – if an expensive one – in the family hatch sector.

New eighth-gen Golf remains the lingua-franca of the hatch world. A finely polished machine

It defines this sector and should be its default buy. You simply can’t go wrong.

It's taken Volkswagen a surprising amount of time to get here, but finally we have a Golf Estate that's up with the best.

Overlook the fact it’s so good that it’s almost joyless: the latest Golf GTI is very desirable indeed

After a classy cabrio but don't have Audi-like cash? Try this. GTI expensive but worth it; R perhaps not

Not as much fun as a Focus Estate, but more comfortable, practical and very well thought out. Looks the part, too.

Skoda might just have turned things on its head. You’d now recommend an Octavia over a VW Golf or Seat Leon

The Mini is an excellent hatch, but does it have to be so grown up?

The e-Golf is an EV that works for most of us, most of the time. A truly convincing electric car.