Monday January 20
Getting back into the swing of things with a very early start involving a flight to Madrid to attend the international launch of the new Nissan Qashqai. If ever there was a car that faced a bit of pressure to replicate past success it's this. Initial impressions are good and looks-wise it is certainly a winner. After the driving we headed up to the 49th floor for a brief presentation that included the chance to talk to some of the engineers who worked on the car - always handy for the odd nugget of information!
Read the full first drive of the Nissan Qashqai here
Tuesday January 21
One more drive in the Qashqai, this time in the automatic model with a CVT gearbox, which shows itself to be an improvement over the old model. We head to the airport to catch our flights home - plural as we will be skipping through Gatwick on the way. Thankfully there are no delays and I get home in time to spend a bit more time driving the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross I have on test. A surprisingly good car. Although it won't really worry the big boys, it is certainly one not to be dismissed too quickly.
Wednesday January 22
Seeing as I was away at the start of the week it's this morning before I get to drop back the Suzuki and head over to the aptly-named Agnelli House to collect my main test car this week - Fiat's 500L. There's no denying that it is indeed a quirky looking car, but it does have some practical features that parents more than other buyers will appreciate. It's not all driving around in cars though, plenty of writing to work through today - newspaper deadlines wait for no man!
Thursday January 23
A spot of rushing around this morning before travelling over to Peugeot Ireland's HQ for a quick press conference and launch of its new 308. Like many of the manufacturers, Peugeot are making positive noises about the state of the market - hopefully those noises will be just as positive later on in the year.
As an added treat to driving the new Peugeot 308, I also get to drive to Kilkenny with my colleague Neil Briscoe. It's great when you get to work with people that you get along with so well. As for the car, it's a big step forward for the French brand, which, elegant design aside, has brought a car to market with a generous degree of options and spec that will benefit potential buyers quite a bit.
Friday January 24
It feels as if I've just clicked my fingers and the week has almost vanished. Thankfully there is plenty of work to keep me going over the weekend in addition to spending a little more time in that Fiat.