Torque has been increased to 310lb ft from 295lb ft but only on the dual-clutch gearbox version of the car.

I would be happy with am implantation of flashers if it’s important for extra lighting to find the car.

Hayes got degrees from Colgate (B.A.) and Northwestern (M.B.A.) and in 1993 joined Lehman Brothers’ mergers and acquisitions office. He helped Ball, one of his early clients, exit its stagnant glass business.

If the first five months are any indication, the Volvo’s mileage will continue to tick up quickly. Especially now that the spring sun is finally shining here in the Midwest, which will soon draw us out of our cozy homes to shake off the winter doldrums with road trips and visits to the beach.

I actually don’t think the general idea of start/stop is bad. I do a lot of sitting at red lights and actually would realize a fuel savings from it. The devil is in the details on this one. I think it can be implemented well or implemented badly.

I hate sunroofs. Annoys me that they are either standard equipment on a lot of cars I like, or else you are relegated to a relative stripper model.

While no revolutionary changes can be found, the D-Max’s cabin feels more resolved by the year. It’s solid, spacious and thoughtful, even if it lacks bling or tech compared to many weekend-warrior-mobiles.

Think of the Volkswagen Atlas as a rolling act of German-American diplomacy. A genuine three-row mid-size crossover, it’s the first Volkswagen SUV configured from the start to appeal to Americans and their oversize appetites for, well, everything. Introduced for the 2018 model year, the Atlas is assembled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which adds to its cross-cultural identity. To see how well it endures under the unyielding weight of real-world domestic duty, we collected a 2019 Volkswagen Atlas V6 SEL with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and the $5200 Premium package for a 40,000-mile long-term evaluation.

With its latest changes the D-Max is quieter than before, especially on light throttle running as you reach highway speeds on level roads. In this sort of environment it’s quieter than the Navara and a match for the generally more refined Triton. When asked to work on steeper hills or when overtaking it becomes noisy and the most agricultural-sounding of these three, which could be attributed to it being the largest capacity engine here.

Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director, said: “XE’s uniqueness is its totality. Customers get a complete package of progressive design, innovative technology and extraordinary driving dynamics. We don’t do ordinary and new XE personifies this. My team and I get huge satisfaction out of improving a car we’re all so familiar with; we’ve lived with it, we understand its character and it’s a wonderful opportunity to make a great car even better. With new XE, we’ve done just that in every way imaginable.”

“IMHO the problem with pushbutton start is that it’s binary and there’s essentially no signal to the driver to inform them what state the button is in.”

Under the bonnet is the familiar Euro 5 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four used in the Isuzu N Series light truck. Outputs are modest by today’s standard at 130kW (at 3600rpm) and 430Nm (at 2000rpm). It’s matched as tested to a six-speed automatic gearbox supplied by Aisin.