This week, Steve’s been appreciating the Kia EV6, driving a van to Birmingham and back and, perhaps most importantly, washing his cars. But first, he tells us about his experience with a trialling legend…
Sunday
To Long Compton, a sublime rural location in the northern Cotswolds, for the Jacobean Sporting Trials Festival 2022. The what? It was a gathering of 113 sporting trials cars from four eras (postwar to modern), all tackling courses impassable to the best modern 4x4s. I arrived late but was still able to take a ride with multiple British (aka world) champion Julian Fack. In trials terms, that is like lapping Silverstone with Lewis Hamilton.
Our car was Impunity II, built by Fack more than 40 years ago, before he embarked on a proper production run of even better cars called Facksimiles, still competitive. The traction, torque, agility and responsiveness were breathtaking, as was the baseline prowess of the competitors. If there’s a form of motorsport that better combines total absorption and a tough skill test with simple fun, I’ve no idea what it is.
Monday
Lots of miles in a Kia EV6 today. It’s nearly everyone’s current Car of the Year choice, and its performance, range, space, design and quality make such judgements easy to justify. If I were on the cusp of an EV purchase, the EV6 would be hard to resist. But what has bothered me occasionally – perhaps because of last week’s Porsche Taycan experience – has been its rather clinical demeanour. I’m willing to believe that EV range is declining as an issue and infrastructure is improving fast, but EVs that generate gotta-have-one feelings are still in short supply
Join the debate
Add your comment
I've often thought that an older van or pickup is the best form of care-free motoring; slightly battered but able to take a few more knocks, not having to worry about keeping it pristine. A few years ago I was a passenger in a hired, nearly new Ford Transit (with a bulkhead behind the seats) and I was really impressed at how comfortable and quiet it was. It would make a great buy now if it had had a good service record.