2019 BMW 330i M-Sport

Say hello to the G20 3-Series

(AUGUST 2019) The BMW 3 Series is a car that needs no introduction, but it won’t be fair to kick things off without a glance at the nameplate’s previous iterations and how they have contributed to the development of the latest model, known by the chassis code G20.Starting with the E21 in 1975, t...

Published on 29 Jan 2022

2019 Volkswagen Polo 1.0TSI

Does this cheeky little VW punch above it's weight?

(JUNE 2019) The Volkswagen Polo has long lived in the shadow of the highly praised Golf since it hit the market in 1975 as the smallest car in the Volkswagen range. The first generation was in fact a rebadged version of the Audi 50. Seen as the cheaper, smaller, less well-appointed alternative, the ...

Published on 26 Jan 2022

2019 Mitsubishi eK Wagon

Can Mitsubishi's talented gem cut it in Sri Lanka's fierce kei market?

(AUGUST 2019) Here I am testing out a Lilliputian Kei car from Gullivers stables of Monteros, Eclipse Crosses and Xpanders at United Motors in the form of the Mitsubishi eK wagon. Kei cars are all the rage in Sri Lanka after the customs duties were based on engine capacity and hence diminutive engin...

Published on 24 Jan 2022

A Copen with Bite!

What happens when a doctor takes a scalpel to a Turbo Kei…

Daihatsu’s second generation LA400 Copen was introduced to the world in 2014, as the automaker’s two-door kei roadster. Being a kei, it was bound by pretty strict rules including a length of no more than 3.4 metres, engine not exceeding a dinky 660cc, and most importantly, a power output of not ...

Published on 22 Jan 2022

Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge

A white van you won't mind being inside!

(MAY 2019) How many ways are there to carry passengers in great comfort? Well, that depends. You could go for a top-range, top-dollar (which makes it top top top rupee) European luxury sedan from any of the major manufacturers for the sake of outright technological prowess and above all else, the st...

Published on 20 Jan 2022

2020 Mitsubishi Xpander Cross

Is this yet another jacked-up MPV?

(JULY 2020) What comes to mind when you think of Mitsubishi? Their fearsome World War II aircraft the A6M-Zero? The go-anywhere Pajero (sorry, Montero, as Pajero translates to a derogatory term in some Spanish-speaking countries)? The Lancer Evolution that remains the mainstay of the SL-GT racing cl...

Published on 19 Jan 2022

2020 Mahindra KUV100 K6+

Could this locally-assembled Mahindra be fun motoring on a budget?

Is it a mini SUV or is it a hatchback? From having lived with it for 4+ days, I’d say it is a crossover. SUV because it has high ground clearance and some utilitarian features like the rear seat that converts to a utilitarian flat-bed. Hatchback because its…a hatchback!...

Published on 03 Jan 2022

2020 Borgward BX5

Borgward is back...or is it?

(JULY 2020) It’s not often that one sees a car brand resurrected after nearly sixty years of inactivity! The company that carries Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Borgward’s name was created in 1919, and is most famous for the Isabella model, of which there are several surviving examples in Sri Lanka. Our...

Published on 03 Jan 2022

Hot Hatch Legends

Peugeot 205 GTi & Renault 5 GT Turbo

JUNE 2021: This drive has been a long time coming and one of the most anticipated test drives of recent times for me. The chance to drive two hot hatch legends from my youth and one of which started a life-long passion for hot hatches in me. There have been some lovely hot hatches before and after...

Published on 31 Dec 2021

2020 Subaru XV 1.6

The Crossover Scooby

(AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020) Whew! Feels good to be back behind the wheel of a test vehicle after a drought of 3 months, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting curfew. And what’s this, a Subaru? A brand that’s been in the news recently for the wrong reasons. Subaru make great cars with their b...

Published on 31 Dec 2021