Shock: A legacy OEM actively selling their plug-ins, imagine that! 1 BMW i3 - Thanks to the massive arrival of the 33 kWh units, the BMW i3 continues to impress, earning another Number One trophy in October, this time with 1.656 units, up 51% YoY. The largest markets to absorb the improved range Bimmers were Norway (503 units, all BEV), Germany (391 deliveries, of which 117 were Rex units) and Austria (164 deliveries, 11 Rex). 2 Renault Zoe - Registrations were down 21% YoY to 1.447 units, it seems the 40 kWh version is already making itself felt, with buyers waiting for the extended range version. Let’s see if the French carmaker does a Tesla-like stunt in December and delivers their Zoe ZE40 at record levels. It surely has a long enough waiting list to surprise us, do I hear 3.500 units, Renault? 5 Nissan Leaf - Sales of the Japanese hatch were surprisingly up 5% YoY, to 1.212 units, with the UK, France and Norway providing enough sales to keep it up with the best. Prospective sales could be even higher, if they had followed Renault and presented a 40 kWh version. With the 60 kWh Second Generation Leaf still a year away, this EV pioneer deserves another update to end the career on a high note, don’t you think?
The seats are comfortable, the views are good, in short there’s a lot to like and not a lot to moan about. STANDARD features include ABS, electronic brake-press distribution, keyless start, stop-start engine function, battery regeneration, hill hold function, multi-function trip computer, electronic parking brake, manual air conditioning, electric windows and electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors. In addition, there was split-folding 60:40 seating, Bluetooth, 6.5ins touchscreen, USB, 17ins alloys, sports suspension, BlueMotion styling pack, chrome trim, LED lighting. Our test car added parking sensors, Convenience pack including rain sensor, tyre pressure monitoring system, carpet mats, adaptive cruise control and voice activation. THE Passat feels a particularly spacious car. There should be no complaints if there’s four people onboard. Add a fifth and you might get a few quibbles from the person in the middle, but they should just appreciate the lift and keep quiet. The boot is large and incorporates a ski-hatch to allow bulky items to be carried, while still enabling you to carry passengers. The seats fold almost flat, but not quite. THE Passat BlueMotion is capable of returning more than 76mpg on the combined cycle. There’s three year/60,000 mile warranty, three years paint and 12 years’ body protection. In addition, you get a year’s Volkswagen Assistance. If installing an Android Car Stereo in your car, that would be great!
Any afternoon games at Muirfield must be played in this format so we got back into our golf gear and went out for a quick 18 holes of alternate shot action. We'd end the day on the beautiful patio in front of the clubhouse and adjacent to the 18th green, sipping on ale and telling stories about our day. I probably looked forward to this day more than any other on this particular trip and as such, I had incredibly high expectations for my day at Muirfield. I'm happy to say that those expectations were exceeded in every way. The club has a hard-earned reputation for being a tad formal and stuffy but we were welcomed with open arms from the moment we arrived and I felt completely comfortable both on and off the golf course. And what a golf course this is! The fact that this was accomplished on what would normally be considered a pretty routine and unremarkable piece of land, set well-away from the sea, further accentuates the greatness of the design. The club is steeped in history and that's never more apparent than when you are walking through the clubhouse and seeing the incredible artifacts lovingly displayed throughout. The locker room is a treat and as indicated, the famous Muirfield lunch is not to be missed. That all said, it's the golf course that shines above all else here. Muirfield is famously private but accepts limited outside play on Tuesday and Thursdays, assuming you book well in advance. If you have the ability to plan ahead and have the means, a day at Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is unquestionably one of the finest experiences you can have in this great game and comes with my highest recommendation.
The 2017 Chevrolet Volt. If it seems like just a couple of months since we reviewed the 2016 Chevrolet Volt, that's because it is and we did. Chevrolet has updated the Volt for 2017 and the new model is making an early debut. Don't expect big changes. And there's a new, limited-availability but no-extra-cost color, Citron Green Metallic, which, to most people who see it, appears more like champagne gold or bright beige. 2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier interior. 1,500 more in rebates from the state. In the 2016 Volt we reviewed a couple of months ago, it was only a defective public charger in a downtown Sacramento parking garage that kept me from driving an entire week without using a drop of gasoline. My average over 247.7 miles was 194.2 miles per gallon. Volt using the travel charger that comes with the car and plugs into a 120 volt AC receptacle. 2017 Chevrolet Volt trip computer. 114 miles per gallon is a number I'll take anytime. I'd have had a full charge on every day of the test, and would have made it through the week without using any gasoline at all. There are purists who look down their noses at the Volt, saying for them it's all-electric or nothing.
