Roadtests

Car sales are a series of twists and turns but there are strong signs that Alfa Romeo has turned the corner this year.

With SUV styled vehicles now taking close to, or in some countries, over 40% of the new car market, manufacturers from budget to luxury brands have wasted no time in covering all angles in terms of size, performance and price.

When the 10th generation Honda Civic hatchback was introduced in 2017 Honda proclaimed in their presentation material that, “The all-new Civic Hatchback is to be built in Europe and exported globally, Honda’s UK plant in Swindon continues key role in Civic production,

Audi’s experience in the premium sector also extends to its supermini sized A1.The A1 was first shown in 2010 as a 3-door, the 5-door Sportback came 12 months later and arrived in Britain in 2012, and it’s a successor to the Audi A2.

Although it’s Volvo’s range of SUVs, the XC90, XC60 and the new XC40 that hog the limelight of the Scandinavian brand’s significant popularity and sales growth in the premium car market, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Volvo has excelled for over 60 years in producing estate cars.