Even out on the expressway, the A1 gets up to legal speeds without fuss. However what’s lacking here is engine refinement – it can sound a tad gruff especially above 4,500 rpm, and the drone does get intrusive when the audio system is switched off. Handling wise, the A1 remains your typical Audi. Which means the steering is well weighted, handling is predictable and as a whole, makes even an amateur driver a street hero. Depending on buyer’s demand, nothing is wrong with this particular aspect of the A1 – but if you’re more demanding and place more emphasis on “f-u-n”, then you might come disappointed. In comparison, at least the Mini Cooper requires more driver input and you can easily (a) throw its rear out, and (b) laugh away gleefully as you try to get back its line. But wait: here's a surprise, the A1 in comparison seems to brake better.
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The Potentially Special One | Audi A1

IN Audi, A1, 1.4 TSI, S-tronic

The Audi A1 jumps onto the scene in time – just when the Mini’s a decade old…


Exterior wise, the new Megane CC (I shall call it MCC from now on) looks less angular than its predecessor – it seems Renault’s designers decided to make it curvier (and more feminine too) this time around, probably to match Peugeot’s 308CC. The face has more prominence now thanks largely to the new swept back headlamps and detailed bumper (is it smiling at me?). Then, the rear looks simply beautiful, mainly due to the darkened tail lamps and the fact that its overhang is not that long to make it look, err, tilted like a duck’s rear? Oh, and those alloys are simply beautiful on the MCC – think of it as wearing the right shoe to match the dress. Ahh… you French are so fashionable.
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More For Her | Renault Megane CC

IN Renault, Megane, Coupe, Cabriolet

...that’s what the Megane CC is, with that all-smooth drive and chic interior.


Which brings me to the BMW 320i coupe. Driving it is like being in the small pool. It is fun to be in. Like many models that came out of the Bavarian marque's production line, it handles brilliantly, and thanks to its handsome and stylish lines it feels sporty enough to make you feel like you're piloting something quite special.
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First Stroke To Style | BMW 320i Coupé

IN BMW, 320i, Coupé

BMW straps their entry-level four-cylinder engine to their handsome 3 Series Coupé. But does it still deliver a full BMW experience without their signature six-cylinder powerplant?


What you need to take note of however is the uninspiring note coming from the bonnet. If you are the sort who is used to hearing the warble of V8s or whirr of force-fed power plants, you might probably just drop your jaws… in amusement. But hey, it is a hybrid after all – the smoothness and seamless operations (both lump and box) is a given. The fact that it starts and idles quietly is also pretty amazing. By the way, the CT200h can be driven solely on a fully charged electric motor at speeds of up to 45km/h before the petrol engine actually kicks in, vibration-free.
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Surprise Of Sorts | Lexus CT200h

IN Lexus, Hybrid, CT200h

A Lexus hatchback? Hybrid? Nope, your eyes are not playing any tricks...


Inside both cars however, it is the Countryman that shows more personality than the Juke, with colours to choose from for the trim and seats, while the Juke's interior is only offered in one colour. Pop the boot lids and the Juke shows less swallow space than the Countryman. The Countryman's boot space space may look smaller than the Juke, but it has less suspension intrusion into the boot space itself and has extra storage space below it. As far as ergonomics go, the Juke's more “traditional” layout will bode well with simpletons, whereas the Countryman's switch layout will take some getting used to.
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Mini Cooper S Countryman Vs Nissan Juke DIG-T

IN Mini, Cooper S, Countryman, Nissan, Juke, DIG-T

What happens when two crossovers cross each other's path? Well, we just had to find out which is the better crosser.


Being heavier and taller, the Countryman unlike its normal Cooper sibling does not possess a go-kart like drive. Instead, it feels more like a sporty sedan. The steering is noticeably heavy at low speeds but it is quick and gives a good amount of feedback on the road once you get going at higher speeds. For more demanding drivers, hitting the sports button increases the steering effort and slightly sharper throttle response. However, body roll is not very pronounced in the corners, and it has brakes that feel very progressive.
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Fun? We Are All4 It! | Mini Cooper S Countryman

IN Mini, Cooper, S, Countryman

The first-ever four door Mini is not just an up-sized Mini. It is their first cross-over and also quite possibly, the most controversial Mini of all time.


Despite all those nuances, the V60 responds nicely to corners with lots of grip. Go hard on the brakes, dive into the corner, exit with your foot on the accelerator and let the stability control figure out where to send the power to. Or, if you are feeling brave, enter the vehicle settings menu and turn the stability aid off. While this makes the car break away in predictable under steer once the limit is breached, it is a bit hard to get it to behave again.
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Hello Vogue Wagon! | Volvo V60 T4

IN Volvo, V60, T4, Station, Wagon, Estate

Once shunned, now gaining popularity, especially with young men who like cars to be practical and at the same time stylish. Now, how about a four-door coupe-like station wagon?


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An Epitome Of Style And Class | Rolls-Royce Ghost

IN Rolls-Royce, Ghost

They say in life, you have to work hard in order to succeed. And once you have achieved success, you buy a Rolls-Royce...


In the world where superlatives are easily thrown around, the 9-3 strangely sets out, because it feels like the guy/girl who lives next door. It is not show-off material like its rivals for instance, instead opting for an understated style that has matured nicely with a little bit of mid-life botox injection. Blending just about the right amount of elements to deserve the “sport” in its name and most importantly, it is living proof that being special doesn't mean having to be the best in class.
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Unbroken Progression | The Saab 9-3 Linear 2.0t

IN Saab, 9-3, Linear, 2.0t, Turbo

With Spyker announcing a new 9-3 in 2012, it's about time that we have a look at Saab's venerable sedan and see how far it has evolved.


In the real world, both feel equally sprightly on the road. Especially out on the expressway and Orchard Road traffic, where both doesn’t seem to have any issues keeping up with traffic or overtaking.
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Alfa Romeo MiTo Or Citroen DS3? We Revisit The 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals.

IN Alfa Romeo, MiTo, Citroen, DS3, Italy, France

It was 10 July 2006. A moment of madness from Zinedine Zidane sees him head butt Italian defender Marco Materazzi in extra time of the 2006 World Cup Final which cost France the title...


On the move, the driving characteristic of the MiTo isn’t what it seems to be. You may opine initially that the ride sways more towards the soft side, but when you set its DNA system from “Neutral” to “Dynamic”, you can feel the MiTo stiffen up and provide a reasonable amount of grip that is both sharp and rather precise. Pity the factory-fitted Bridgestone Turanza ER300 tyres that don’t seem to cooperate as they tend to screech and struggle for grip when pushed hard, killing your enthusiasm when shooting in hard into a corner. When it comes to the brakes, the anchors on the MiTo – standard with ABS and EBD - are assuring and offers respectable stopping power with no feeling of brake fade which is useful at hauling all that 1,145kg to a complete halt.
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Ciao Di Nuovo | Alfa Romeo MiTo Multiair TCT

IN Alfa Romeo, MiTo, TCT

If you are a loyal fan of hot hatches, you would have noticed how this particular car segment is sometimes on a roll, but in most instances just plain quiet.


Things got really interesting when the C-series were introduced. Not only were they interesting to look at on the outside, things got funky on the inside. So what happens when Citroen takes the C3 and creates a new hot hatch?
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French Pièce De Résistance | Citroen DS3 THP

IN Citroen, DS3, THP, 150, Turbo

The DS3 is more than just a new car, it's also the first in a new line of DS models after the original DS went out of production nearly 40 years ago.


I like the RCZ's sleek looks. The rear seats are really small and cramped, but the boot's impressive for a car of this type. I found the steering wheel a little on the small side. The cabin's nice and the controls are a bit stiff, but the locations of the steering-mounted controls for cruise control and quite strange.
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Peugeot RCZ Panel Of Professionals (P.O.P.) Session

IN Peugeot, RCZ, Coupé, P.O.P.

For our second P.O.P session, our panel of professionals get an exclusive one-on-one with the sexy Peugeot RCZ. We pen down their thoughts and serve them up raw!


It stops very well too, the 18-inch rims hide 280mm disc brakes in the front and 262mm in the rear. They stop this charging car with finesse and the brake pedal feels great to stomp on too, providing a firm feel. While we weren't mad enough to make the stability controls kick in, this also boiled down to the good grip that the tyres provided.
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Brimming With Optimism | Kia Optima K5

IN Kia, Optima, K5

For those of us that still remember the bland old days of Kia, the last few years have seen it's rise right up to the top. Can the new Optima continue Kia's success?


Upon getting into her and turning her on, she comes alive immediately, purring with great pleasure, her raspy engine note serenading to you in sweet seduction. Sitting in the electric sports seat shod in luxurious and supple Nappa leather, it sets you up for an intimate feeling of being in perfect harmony with the RCZ. On the move, this lioness with her turbo charged engine mated to a smooth shifting six speed automatic transmission churning out 156 horses and 240Nm worth of torque sends you into sheer automotive ecstasy in nine seconds with strong in-gear acceleration. And should you try to be blatantly unfaithful to her on the road by attempting to chase down an even more beautiful Italian 'super model', she shows her displeasure with her caterwauling engine screaming
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Peugeot's Belle Époque | Peugeot RCZ

IN Peugeot, 1.6 Turbo, RCZ, Coupe

The date was set for a rendezvous, a tryst that bordered on sheer adultery. As I got on my way, a thought came to mind, how can something so wrong feel so right?


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The Griffin Soars Again | Saab 9-5 2.0T Vector

IN Saab, 9-5, Vector, Turbo

The 9-5 is the first model to be introduced after Saab was saved by Dutch sports car manufacturer, Spyker. However, is it Swede, or Dutch?


If you do notice the side wedge profile, there's a slight resemblance to the previous-gen hybrid from another Japanese manufacturer, but with more curves thrown in. Honda has done well with the styling to keep it from looking boring: The front end looks angular and slightly aggressive, while at the back, you get that unique CRZ and Civic FN2 twin-glass tailgate, and futuristic LED tail lights.
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Time For Eco Divination | Honda Insight

IN Honda, Insight, IMA, Hybrid, Green, Eco

The cheapest hybrid on the market today has much promise for a brighter and greener future.


Parked up next to it's rivals, the Touran, despite it's new looks and lights still looks boxy which would put those who prefer a sleeker profile for their cars off. However, not many MPVs in the region of the Touran's price range can offer this amount of space with a quick pace. And, can you really deny fine German engineering?
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Force Fed People Mover! | Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI

IN VW, Touran, MPV, TSI, Family, People, Mover

Now with sharper lines, the new German compact MPV looks all set to VW-room!


On the move, the Passat CC as with its Sport moniker and 'coupe' identity performs admirably. The turbo charged two litre four pot pulls off readily with excellent throttle response and is virtually lag free, even more so in Sport mode. And when the accelerator was floored hard, the addictive sound of wheel spin was heard in tandem with the gruff sounding engine snarl in protest of the rev needle's ascent, further highlighting the car's sporty potential even though the car is meant to be a smooth and refined drive.
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Keeping Up With The Passats | Volkswagen Passat CC

IN Volkswagen, Passat, CC, VW

Can the adage of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it" be refuted? In the case of the Passat, Volkswagen has certainly proved its point.


Lexus' name for class-leading refinement goes out of the window when you fire it up. With its deep throaty exhaust note, the IS F begins to show it's beastly side with its 417hp and 505Nm, 5.0L V8 growling. In fact, we longed for the moment we could stick it in sport mode on a long empty road and mash the throttle to the floor.
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A Lion In Sheep's Clothing | Lexus IS F

IN Lexus, IS, F

With such unassuming looks and the fire-power it packs, we wished it came with a madder name, like Lexus Surprise Attack Weapon!



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