Topgear News

You’ve got to hand it to Mitsubishi. The firm has clearly picked its moment to lift the lid on its Colt CZC! The newcomer’s folding metal roof retracts in 22 seconds, so not only is the four-seater capable of making a quick change, it promises to be the perfect car to take in the first rays of summer sun.

We’ve already been impressed with the turbocharged CZC (issue 903), but how does this more affordable, normally aspirated version fare in the UK? We took to the road to find out.

A star is born. After months of designing, refining and testing, Vauxhall has finally released these exclusive first official pictures of its all-new Corsa, which promises to be the centrepiece of the British Motor Show in London in July.

Auto Express knows more about the Corsa than anyone else. We’ve charted the newcomer’s development from its first outing to its final reveal. And here, we show you all the information released by Vauxhall so far, as well as exposing even more details which bosses at the company don’t want you to know yet.

Written by CruiseMidlands.com

There’s always been an amount of irony with coupe-convertibles. They’re the latest fashion accessory in the motoring world and no poser worth her pashmina would be seen without one.

But (and often it’s a big butt) they never look that good. Which is a problem, and one that the Mitsubishi Colt CZC faces as well.

From certain angles, it’s definitely got it - it looks OK from the front because of the angled headlights and with the roof down, there’s a squat, purposeful look to it. View it from the rear three-quarters and things aren’t so good. The podgy rear and cab-forward stance means Vauxhall’s Tigra still takes the style award.

When it comes to topless cars, there is a veritable bevy of beauties queuing up for class honours - and Volkswagen’s Eos is the latest on the scene. It replaces the old Golf soft-top in the line-up, and aims to take on bigger coupé-cabriolets from premium brands. Auto Express grabbed the keys to see if the newcomer will be a drop-top champ this summer.

As with its predecessor, the A6 Allroad is closely related to the A6 Avant - but with a proper SUV now available further up the range, how does the fresh-faced crossover stack up? We sampled the flagship diesel to find out.

As before, the tall-riding Allroad boasts contrasting flared wheelarches and extended side sills. Yet despite the addition of stainless steel underbody protection, unique bumpers at the front and rear and the firm’s latest corporate grille, the car doesn’t have the same purposeful stance of the original.

What if you were able to take the style and character of Mazda’s legendary MX-5 and combine it in a more practical body?

That’s the idea behind the CX-7, an SUV which aims to offer the high driving position of an off-roader with a dose of excitement inherited from its sporty brother. And Auto Express took the wheel of one of the first models off the US production line to see if the newcomer really has the X-factor.