Declan Colley looks back on the automotive year that was 2016 and picks out the best wheels he has driven in the last 12 months — some of his selections may well surprise you.

THEY once called themselves the “biggest small car maker in the world” and, in many ways, it summed up Suzuki perfectly.

The new Baleno hatchback model from Suzuki will go on sale here Ireland in June.

Japanese car maker Suzuki has apologised for improper road tests on some of its models but denies it illegally falsified mileage numbers.

Suzuki has bought back a stake in the company from Volkswagen for 428.9bn yen (€3.15bn).

I know I’m showing my age here, but I remember the launch of the original Suzuki Vitara in Ireland back in 1989 and, although a mere motoring whippersnapper at the time, I recall noting that the car marked a sea-change not only for Suzuki itself, but for the motor industry.

It amuses me when I hear people gushing on about what an amazing achievement the Nissan Qashqai has been for the Japanese marque, supposedly having invented a whole new market segment for family cars.