Hello petrolheads! Today’s review is the Status Quo of the small hatchbacks: the Golf. You don’t even say Volkswagen, as surely even your nanny knows what a Golf is. So, instead of losing much time with presentations, let’s focus on what makes this Golf worth of a review: it’s (supposedly) a sports diesel. Yes. A sports diesel. In other words, a diesel-powered hot hatch. Now, I once drove a diesel which could be called sporty – the SEAT Ibiza FR , powered by the iconic 1.9 TDI. That was the only turbocharged diesel I drove to date whose throttle response – within the torque band – rivaled that of a good, normally aspirated petrol. Applied on that small and light body, it made for an entertaining package, despite a ride as hard as its interior plastics… But the Golf GTD is a totally different car. For starters, it’s way heavier. Then there’s the DSG gearbox. Finally, and most importantly, we have a diesel engine which must comply to strict environmental regulat...

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing the Station Wagon derived from a Small Hatchback: the SEAT León. It was my rental for the past two weeks, and the variety of roads it was driven in made for a very deep knowledge of the car. Small hatchbacks, what do we know about them? Well, they’re mainly an European thing, as place for 5 and their luggage on a small-ish package are pretty must mandatory in most tightly packed, crowded European cities. And the VW Golf is that car, end of story. Fortunately, in the last couple of decades, some real alternatives starting to emerge. Opel has had the Astra since the nineties, with mixed results, Peugeot (306 and 307) and Renault (Mégane) were also winners but, for me, the biggest contender to the Golf’s (sales) supremacy has always been the Ford Focus. The self-called “New-Edge “ design from the first generation was maybe too much for most, and the interior quality a bit so-so, but underneath the body there has always been, since then, ...

Hello Petrolheads! In today’s post, I decided to put down a comprehensive guide featuring all the points to look at while searching for a Smart Roadster, plus answering a few of the most regular questions I’m asked. Having first acquired a Roadster 9 years ago and nowadays owning two further units, and having read an awful lot about it, allowed me to have a very detailed idea about the strong and weak points of this Automotive pearl. So, considering buying a Smart Roadster? Congratulations! You’re on the way to a very fun life experience. But, to be so, you must do your homework first. -        Which production year? Generally speaking, I always advise people to avoid cars produced during the first production year . I’m a Mechanical Engineer specialized in vehicle development and production, so have a perfect insight about the topic. Without entering in details, let’s just say that rigid marketing milestones regularly imply a car coming...