Replying to @au_tom_otive @SKODAUK
Very much so, Tom. Been a busy first few days…
Replying to @JamiePickles1 @SKODAUK
That’s right: international media drive was a few weeks ago. But this was my first go! 🚘
Week 1 at Škoda safely completed: been a whirlwind of onboarding, training in sunny Seville, driving the new Peaq and Epiq EVs, learning new acronyms and systems, plus connecting with the fabulous @SKODAUK team 💚 😊
Look out for the full story in @CARmagazine in due course, but here are a few extras from our visit to last month’s Bristol International Balloon Fiesta by the ever-talented lensmen Mark Fagelson and Joe Harding…. 📸 👏 🎈
<< 7 of 7
Range is good for 200 miles and our top-spec Iconic+ is generously equipped, with 18in diamond-cut alloys, electric windows and tailgate, climate, adaptive cruise control, safety systems galore, plus 10in touchscreen powered by Google. All of that on a small Renault! 🙌
>> 6 of 7
The R4 is a zesty drive, with a fun yet mature feel. I still find the steering column “overstalked”, with gears, wipers and stereo controls by the driver’s right hand. That transmission wand is slow to engage, so you sometimes creep in opposite direction to expected 😬
>> 5 of 7
The 4 took longer for me to decode than the 5 supermini. I “got” that design immediately, whereas I’ve had to work harder with the more practical, busier 4 – but I now appreciate the 8cm longer wheelbase and deep boot, nodding to the low-cut loadbay of the original 🧳
>> 4 of 7
It’s really easy to peel open around town (by tapping a switch or voice control) and then close if the sun goes in or you’re driving into a more polluted area. It’s impressively quiet and draught-proof thanks to the pop-up mesh wind deflector 🤫
>> 3 of 7
That £1500 rollback canvas roof option is excellent, opening in <7sec to bring a flavour of Mediterranean brightness to every journey. Unlike a regular cabriolet, roof operation is so unobtrusive and quick that you can flick it open on a whim while driving 👆😎
>> 2 of 7
I’ll shortly be handing my Renault 4 E-Tech Plein Sud over to @ColinOverland, as I start my new job next week. So it’s a good time to reflect on a couple of months living with the soft-top Four – which arrived in the hottest summer of my lifetime 🌞
>> 1 of 7
Four hundred mile round trip to Newcastle to drop son off at uni. Mrs P’s VW Passat GTE Estate monstered the load lugging and motorway mile munching, obvs… 💪⚡️⛽️
A sneak peek behind the scenes of when I took the @CARmagazine Toyota Land Cruiser off to meet a long-lost relative: an immaculate 1983 BJ40, which traces its roots back to the original of 75 years ago. On-road, around a quarry and joy aplenty 😎
Replying to @1MonkeyDriver
Well, this smorgasbord of different bodystyles, brands and colours made me sit up and pay attention as I wandered around this lovely city 👀
Modern classics of Porto: some ’80s, ’90s and ’00s crackers still in daily use in the September sunshine 😎 🙌
Replying to @BalanceMotoUK
V possibly… Entirely feasible the drag coefficient improved over the car’s lifecycle – Audi archives required! 🕵️♂️
Replying to @jeckythump
They’re muted and restrained: the tech did the talking, I guess…




















