We’ve now reached the halfway point of 2024, so we can have a good look at the new car sales market – and it’s very much a tale of contrasting fortunes.
The UK now has a fairly entrenched two-speed new car market. Fleet sales are ticking along strongly and consistently, which is a combination of large businesses continuing to catch-up delayed vehicle purchases from the pandemic, and strong business confidence encouraging ongoing fleet turnover.
On the other hand, private new car sales are crumbling. The half-year results for private sales are the worst since the current twice-yearly registration plate change came into effect in 1999. Or, if you prefer, the worst sales results in more than a quarter of a century – with the obvious exception of 2020, when the UK was plunged into a sudden lockdown from March to May and almost no cars were sold. It’s bad news every month, and seemingly getting worse.
There has been a concerted push from some aspects of the media to blame poor private new car sales on a lack of EV demand, and the car industry seems happy to go along with that view in public as it suits the industry’s current lobbying for more government subsidies for EVs. But it’s not accurate.
Private new car sales peaked in 2016 and have been sliding ever since. There are multiple reasons for this, although the biggest factors have been related to car finance (which is also why business registrations have declined).
As well as being numerically low, private registrations in 2024 have also taken the lowest percentage of the overall new car market. In 2024 to date private sales have made up only 38% of all new registrations, which is a record low. This compares to an average of 46% over the prior 24 years, and a gradual decline from almost 50% near the start of the century. Even though 2020 half-year results were worse due to the Covid pandemic, as shown below, this affected fleet and business sales as well so the overall market fell in proportion.
January to June new car registrations over the last 25 years
Year
Private registrations
% of all registrations
Fleet registrations
Business registrations
All registrations
2024
382,881
38%
600,404
23,470
1,006,763
2023
435,325
46%
490,764
23,631
949,720
2022
428,034
53%
354,442
19,063
802,079
2021
410,698
45%
481,258
18,017
909,973
2020
314,588
48%
325,518
13,396
653,502
2019
568,046
45%
671,400
29,799
1,269,245
2018
587,256
45%
677,614
49,124
1,313,994
2017
617,679
44%
728,582
55,550
1,401,811
2016
649,237
46%
717,483
53,916
1,420,636
2015
637,051
46%
685,184
54,654
1,376,889
2014
623,640
48%
602,113
61,512
1,287,265
2013
557,498
48%
555,561
50,564
1,376,889
2012
476,283
45%
537,176
44,221
1,057,680
2011
438,199
43%
537,815
53,624
1,029,638
2010
535,155
48%
519,933
53,574
1,108,622
2009
427,911
46%
445,194
51,850
924,955
2008
537,359
43%
629,344
80,776
1,247,479
2007
564,988
45%
617,286
85,025
1,267,299
2006
560,252
45%
601,195
80,478
1,241,925
2005
587,205
45%
618,408
90,872
1,296,485
2004
659,721
48%
566,719
150,127
1,376,567
2003
665,075
49%
549,734
132,676
1,347,485
2002
664,349
49%
557,481
125,863
1,347,693
2001
617,861
49%
536,867
114,300
1,269,028
2000
520,085
43%
566,913
129,739
1,216,709
Source: SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
So why are private new car sales performing so badly?
There are several reasons why private new car sales have been falling for the last eight years, but the biggest is that buyers have been buying ever-more expensive cars on car finance agreements and then trying to fit those into budgets that have not been increasing at the same rate.
Longer car finance terms
PCP car finance has been around since the 1980s, but it really started to take off in about 2010 in conjunction with a government scrappage scheme – launched in the depths of the great financial crisis in 2009 and helped by record low interest rates. Long story short, customers could buy a more expensive car for lower monthly payments than they had been used to, and they liked it.
But cars, and customer tastes, got even more expensive. So rather than buying cheaper cars to keep their payments down, buyers started taking longer agreements instead. The default PCP term shifted from three years to four years, and that meant 25% fewer new car buyers each year as everyone kept their existing car for a year longer.
Cars have become much more expensive
New cars have also become increasingly expensive over the last decade. To pick one popular car as an example: Back in 2015, the then-new Vauxhall Corsa launched with a starting price of £8,995. Today, a new Corsa starts at £18,505 – more than double the price.
Over the same period, average weekly earnings haven’t come close to matching that level of increase, and real-world average disposable income hasn’t really increased at all for many people.
Higher interest rates make car finance more expensive
On top of the extreme price increases, the cost of financing a new car has increased significantly as interest rates have climbed over the last couple years after more than a decade at record lows. This adds a significant extra chunk onto monthly payments for a PCP (or a lease, but the costs of leasing are much more opaque).
Private cars counted under fleet registrations
As costs have increased, customers have increasingly been looking for alternatives to PCP car finance. Some have turned to leasing (personal contract hire), company car schemes or salary sacrifice – especially if they’re looking for an electric car. However, any new cars obtained via these methods are counted as fleet registrations rather than private registrations, as the leasing company is the owner of the vehicle rather than the end user. So there has been a small but significant shift of new cars from the private registration category to the fleet registration category. This particularly affects EVs, as they have the greatest tax benefits from using company car or salary sacrifice schemes, even for privately used cars.
(Incidentally, the same has applied to business purchases, as fewer small businesses choose to buy their company cars outright these days and prefer to lease them.)
Electric cars are even more expensive
Although the price of electric cars has come down over the last few years (or at least held steady), in contrast to petrol and diesel cars, there’s still a definite gap on like-for-like vehicles. To stick with the Vauxhall Corsa, an electric model is about £10,000 dearer than an equivalent petrol version with an automatic gearbox.
Even with some significant discounting and favourable finance terms currently available on a lot of electric vehicles, the upfront and monthly costs are still generally higher – unless you’re eligible for a salary sacrifice scheme.
Most industry analysts expect EV and petrol car prices to reach parity in the next couple of years, but we’re not there just yet.
There’s no end in sight for the current situation
The fall in private new car sales has been accelerating over the last year and there doesn’t appear to be any improvement on the horizon. Cars are not going to magically get cheaper, and finance rates are not going to return to the historic lows of the last decade.
Fewer households are buying brand-new cars, and those who do are keeping their cars for longer. More people are shifting from buying new cars to buying used instead, with used car sales growing steadily over the last few years as private new car sales have declined.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing from a household finance point of view, or from an environmental point of view. The vast majority of consumers change their cars because their finance agreement is coming to an end, not because their cars are falling apart. Keeping your car for four years instead of three is actually quite prudent in most cases.
But it’s obviously a problem for the car industry if people stop buying new cars – and if you want a steadily supply of used cars, you need someone to be buying those cars new in the first place. It’s even more crucial if the industry wants to have any chance of hitting its targets for selling new electric cars, so we can expect to see offers and incentives improving throughout the rest of this year.
After being removed from sale last Summer due to “changes in customer preferences”, Volvo has decided to re-introduce its V60 and V90 models to its UK range as British buyers have shown a renewed interest in the estate bodystyle.
Re-introducing models that the manufacturer says is a “key element of Volvo Cars’ heritage”, the mid-size V60 is now available once again in Plus and Ultra specifications with either the T6 or T8 petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrains, which combine a 145hp electric motor with a 253hp or 310hp petrol engine respectively, or a 197hp B4 mild-hybrid petrol powertrain. The larger V90 is also offered with the same T6 and T8 drivetrain options.
The V60 is now on sale from just over £43k, while prices for the V90 start at over £62k. To clarify, the S60 and S90 saloons retired at the same time last year are not returning.
As part of this Volvo range refresh, the brand has also unveiled new ‘Black Edition’ versions of the all-electric EC40 coupé-SUV and EX40 SUV.
Available with both the ‘Plus’ and ‘Ultra’ trims, this ‘Black Edition’ package adds all-black exterior styling, black high-gloss front grille, Volvo emblem and tailgate badging, plus 20-inch high-gloss black alloy wheels.
The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car that has been sold in many different iterations in the UK. This is the ninth-generation model, which is only available in the estate car body style. Petrol models are on sale now, with plug-in hybrid models set to join the range later in 2024.
The latest Passat has had a warm welcome from the British motoring media – Car’s Keith Adams concluding that the estate is “outstandingly refined” and “has acres of room inside”.
“It’s more conservative than the electric ID.7 Tourer”, comments Carbuyer’s Andy Goodwin, but adds that it is certainly comfortable on the road. Several outlets have described the car’s exterior styling as ‘dull’, while other reviewers miss the fuel-efficient diesel engines of the prior model.
As of September 2025, the Volkswagen Passat holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73%. It schieves top marks for its safety rating and low CO2 emissions, while media review scores have also been good to date. Running costs are average, although that will depend on which model you choose, but servicing and insurance groups are good across the board. However, Volkswagen’s new car warranty coverage lets the side down in terms of the overall score, as it’s far too stingy compared to some other brands.
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Volkswagen Passat is a smart, sleek, and well-built estate car that could well have enough appeal to steer buyers away from SUVs.” Author: Jordan Katsianis Read review
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid Score: 8 / 10 “A dent in boot space is the only major downside to the new Volkswagen Passat plug-in hybrid as it stands. Pricing, of course, will ultimately determine if it’ll outshine its many decent rivals (the new Skoda Superb being atop that list). The plug-in hybrid’s range is outstanding and the recharge rate would allow most to run it almost exclusively as an electric car. With that in mind, the new Passat PHEV is certainly the most versatile estate Volkswagen has ever made.” Author: Alastair Crooks Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The new Volkswagen Passat estate majors on space, comfort and refinement, and it’s not bad to drive, either. The only hitch is a price tag that makes it more expensive than the Tiguan SUV to buy.” Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol automatic Elegance “While it might not be that exciting to drive, the new Volkswagen Passat impresses with its overall competence, refinement, and interior space.” Author: Murthyvittala Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “It doesn’t set the world alight, but the new Volkswagen Passat is luxurious and capable and quietly gets on with the job – as long as you don’t need a saloon or hatchback. It is outstandingly refined, has acres of room inside and is an excellent long-distance cruiser.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “It’s more conservative than the ID.7 Tourer, but the Volkswagen Passat Estate offers masses of space and a comfy driving experience.”
Author: Andy Goodwin, Alastair Crooks Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Passat GTE Score: 8 / 10 “But aside from its slightly anonymous styling, there’s plenty to like here. The Mk9 Passat may occupy a more niche market segment than ever, but we’d recommend trying one in place of the increasingly default SUV.” Author: Stephen Dobie Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “A very good all-rounder in the family car stakes. If you want something roomy and posh, but you don’t want an SUV, then the Volkswagen Passat should be on your shortlist.” Author: Ivan Aistrop Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The latest Volkswagen Passat is a hugely compelling family estate car. It has space and practicality by the bucketload, an interior that’s solidly built, nicely finished and well equipped, plus it’s comfortable and pleasant to drive.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.4 / 10 “The Volkswagen Passat is a great choice if you’re in the market for a large family car. It’s refreshing to see a manufacturer lavish so much attention on a car that isn’t an SUV – and the results speak for themselves. The Passat is more practical, more comfortable and more refined than any mainstream SUV rival on the market today.” Author: Luke Wilkinson Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Not as sharply styled as it once was, and its lack of individuality might perturb some. But the car’s core values mostly remain.”
Author: Stephen Dobie Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of September 2025, the latest Volkswagen Passat range has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of September 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the latest Volkswagen Passat to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Passat, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Fuel consumption
Average
Score
Plug-in hybrid models
706 mpg
A
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Petrol models
126 g/km
B
Plug-in hybrid models
9 g/km
A
Battery range
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Plug-in hybrid models
80 miles
C
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
37
D
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£176
B
Year 2
£503
B
Year 3
£825
B
Year 4
£1,068
B
Year 5
£1,421
B
Overall
£3,993
B
The Volkswagen Passat is a pretty affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
We don’t yet have the car’s fuel consumption figures, but the Passat’s insurance premiums are fairly low when compared to other options in the large car category, and its servicing and maintenance costs over the course of the first five years of ownership are predicted to be better than average, too.
Awards
Significant UK trophies and awards that the Volkswagen Passat has received.
2025
Caravan and Motorhome Club Awards – Towcar of the Year + Best Towcar (1,300kg – 1,500kg caravan)
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Volkswagen Passat, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is a large electric SUV based on the similarly sized EQE saloon. It became available to order in the UK in 2023.
Like the saloon version, the EQE SUV has been praised for its competitive battery range and interior ambience, which are both big factors in its favour.
However, the EQE SUV has also faced criticisms. As Driving Electric‘s Tom Jervis sums up, “The Mercedes EQE SUV boasts a giant touchscreen, fast charging, lots of storage and – to its detriment – a hefty price tag.” Fellow reviewers agree, citing that the Mercedes is very expensive, particularly as an entry-level version of the luxurious BMW iX is over £20k cheaper.
In addition, others remark that this SUV doesn’t stack up well against its executive saloon counterpart either. Calling the EQE SUV a “disappointment”, The Telegraph‘s Andrew English argues that “it just wasn’t that enjoyable to drive” and that “it doesn’t have the fine driving dynamics of its saloon EQE sister.”
Despite the strong competition, Parker‘s Alan Taylor-Jones adds that the EQE SUV “certainly has a few things going for it”, concluding that the car has “plenty of space inside for people, and the boot is large enough for most.” Though you would expect it considering its high price tag, he also points out that “base models get plenty of equipment.”
As of July 2025, the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%. While motoring journalists might not like it that much, the EQE SUV scores highly for its outstanding safety rating and zero tailpipe emissions, both of which are likely to be more important to paying customers. Running costs are high, which is not surprising given the car’s luxury, sophistication and £100K price tag.
“The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is exceptionally refined and mostly comfortable, making short work of challenging British roads and their broken surfaces. But as with many of Merc’s big EQ products, there are still some issues concerning its packaging, build quality and general handling. It’s an expensive proposition, too. “
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “SUV version of the all-electric Mercedes EQE saloon is more practical and better equipped, but also considerably more expensive.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Score: 6 / 10 “There’s undoubtedly a good car in the EQE SUV. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t seem like Mercedes’ engineers have quite finished setting it up. It genuinely feels as if a few calibration tweaks could do wonders for the ride and handling, something that’d make it far more recommendable. But it’s still an awfully expensive e-SUV and it doesn’t feel as luxurious as the similarly costly BMW iX.” (Alan Taylor-Jones) Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Mercedes EQE SUV boasts impressive technology, range and interior space, but it’s also expensive and misses the mark in other areas.” Author: Andy Goodwin, Alex Ingram Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Like a top-of-the-range smartphone, the Mercedes EQE SUV boasts a giant touchscreen, fast charging, lots of storage and – to its detriment – a hefty price tag.” Author: Tom Jervis Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6.4 / 10 “The Mercedes EQE SUV certainly has a few things going for it. There’s plenty of space inside for people, and the boot is large enough for most. Even base models get plenty of equipment, while the performance and range offered by the batteries and motors is good if not exceptional when compared to other electric SUVs.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: EQE SUV 350 4Matic Score: 4 / 10 “This Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV was a disappointment, especially after the surreal ride quality of the S-class-sized EQS to which it owes a lot of its running gear. It just wasn’t that enjoyable to drive, it didn’t have the fine dynamics of its saloon/hatchback EQE sister – and it seems like an awesome amount of money for a not desperately good car.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “Two or three years ago the EQE SUV might have brought something to the table, but the game’s long since moved on.”
Author: Sam Burnett Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
In addition to its five-star rating, Euro NCAP has also independently tested the EQE SUV’s driver assistance tech, concluding that it offers “very good” highway assistance and “excellent” safety.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of July 2025, the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the EQE SUV is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing whenever it ever takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of July 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as we have sufficient data on the EQE SUV, we’ll publish the score here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Battery range
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
348 miles
A
311 – 378 miles
A – A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
3.7 m/KWh
D
3.4 – 4.2 m/KWh
B – E
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
50
F
50 – 50
F – F
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£404
C
Year 2
£886
C
Year 3
£1,382
C
Year 4
£1,626
C
Year 5
£2,097
C
Overall
£6,395
C
The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is a rather expensive car to maintain, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The SUV certainly has a competitive battery range – mustering a maximum of 324 to 334 miles on a single charge depending on the model you choose – but its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is below average. Its service and maintenance costs over five years of ownership might be more expensive than you anticipate, and its insurance costs are in the highest bracket too.
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Lease a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
If you’re looking to lease a new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
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Subscribe to a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
The MG Cyberster is an electric two-door convertible that became available to order in the UK in Summer 2024, with two different powertrain options available.
Beating its brand competitors to the punch, MG is the first marque to launch an all-electric soft-top sports car in the UK. Therefore, the MG Cyberster currently sits in a class of its own, at least for now.
It’s available in two trim levels, Trophy and GT, with the only real difference being performance. The Trophy has a very respectable 340hp and is rear-wheel drive, while the GT has a ferocious 500hp and is all-wheel drive, so it can go from 0-62mph in only 3.2 seconds – which, incidentally, is exactly the same time as the legendary McLaren F1 supercar…
The MG Cyberster’s best party trick is its electric scissor doors, which are bound to attract attention wherever you go. For bonus street theatre points, you can remotely open and close the doors from the car key.
UK reviewers are rather torn when it comes to the Cyberster – Yousuf Ashraf of Evo concludes that the car is “stunning to look at, but not to drive.” Our own editor at The Car Expert, Stuart Masson, said: “The MG Cyberster GT is missile-like fast in a straight line, but all that performance comes at the expense of driving enjoyment.”
A coupé version was previewed as a concept car at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. There’s no word on whether it will go into production, but it would be a logical extension to the model range.
As of July 2025, the MG Cyberster holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%.
Body style: Convertible Engines:electric, battery-powered Price:From £54,995 on-road
Launched: Summer 2024 Last updated: N/A Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Featured reviews
“The Cyberster is currently in a class of one. It’s not just a new car for MG, it’s a new kind of car for the whole industry. It’s missile-like fast in a straight line, but all that performance comes at the expense of driving enjoyment.
“The MG Cyberster is an electric convertible that’s stylish and comfortable with some ferocious performance, but it’s no hardcore sports car when the road starts winding.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The MG Cyberster brings strong performance and eye-catching design, but is more open-topped grand tourer than MGB-style sports car.” Author: Dean Gibson, Paul Adam Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “MG puts an electric twist on its convertible sports car roots with the stylish and fun to drive Cyberster.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Car
Model reviewed: GT Score: 8 / 10 “Its connection with old British-built MGs is a stretch, but as a halo model for SAIC-era MG the Cyberster is an excellent grand tourer. It’s way better than it needs to be, a car that can confidently stand on its own. Its connection with old British-built MGs is a stretch, but as a halo model for SAIC-era MG the Cyberster is an excellent grand tourer. It’s way better than it needs to be, a car that can confidently stand on its own.” Author: Ben Whitworth Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7.8 / 10 “The Cyberster looks the business, with curvaceous styling and dramatic scissor doors, it’s comfortable to drive, it goes like the clappers, it has a respectable range figure and the cabin is smartly trimmed and full of tech.” Author: Dean Gibson Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “The MG Cyberster is a fantastic halo model for the brand, with stunning looks and performance.” Author: Shane Wilkinson Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Not the purist driver’s car that some may be hoping for, but still a fun, theatrical and entertaining electric roadster.” Author: Thomas Geiger Read review
Evo
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “Its design and performance figures promise a sports car experience that it doesn’t deliver on, and the chassis doesn’t feel dialled in even when you drive within its comfort zone.” Author: Yousuf Ashraf Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Trophy Score: 9 / 10 “The MG Cyberster looks amazing with its dramatic scissor doors, and it’s great to drive. Its performance is perfectly adequate for a sports car in rear-wheel drive Trophy trim, but if you want supercar levels of acceleration, there’s also the all-wheel-drive GT model. It even has a practical driving range, and we’d say it’s good value. It’s just a shame that the fun driving experience is spoilt by constant beeps and boings, and it’s not a quick or easy process to switch these off.” Author: Paul Clarke Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The most appealing thing about the MG Cyberster, though, is that it’s truly unique. Name another two-seat all-electric convertible sports car available on the new car market, we dare you. Spoiler alert: you can’t, because there isn’t one.” Author: Ivan Aistrop Read review
Honest John
Score: 8 / 10 “Very good to drive whether you want to cruise along, tackle a twisty road, or make a statement around town, the MG Cyberster is a classy and surprisingly understated roadster. Comfort and refinement take precedence over outright cornering speed, and the MG Cyberster is all the better for it. Only let down by the slightly fussy dash design.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “It can’t match a Porsche 718 Boxster or BMW Z4 for driving fun, but the rapid acceleration, comfortable ride and refined road manners mean it’s not without its merits.” Author: Luke Wilkinson Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Trophy Score: 8 / 10 “Good value and performance in one package.” Author: Dave Humphreys Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: GT Score: 6 / 10 “The MG Cyberster looks good, it drives reasonably well (as long as you don’t push too hard), and at sensible speeds on A- and B-roads the efficiency is fairly respectable. I’d prefer to buy a nimble Mazda MX-5 while I can, but in the world of EV motoring the MG not only is the sole drophead sports car, it’s also a half decent drophead sports car.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The MG Cyberster is an unabashed reinvention of the sports car. It won’t outhandle the establishment, but it does plenty that they can’t at a reasonable price.”
Author: Stephen Dobie Read review
Which EV?
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “There’s no EV to compare to the MG Cyberster. The only roadsters in this class are petrol-powered. The fact that the Cyberster competes well even with these shows just how competitively priced it is.” Author: James Morris Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of July 2025, the MG Cyberster has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of July 2025, the MG Cyberster has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Cyberster is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing whenever it ever takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of July 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the MG Cyberster to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Cyberster, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Battery range
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
296 miles
A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
3.8 m/KWh
D
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
48
D
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£218
B
Year 2
£542
B
Year 3
£890
B
Year 4
£1,026
A
Year 5
£1,398
A
Overall
£4,074
A
The MG Cyberster is a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for petrol and diesel cars) is good, which helps the sports car to achieve a very good driving range of 296 miles, according to the official government lab tests.
Insurance costs are likely to be higher than average, while scheduled servicing and maintenance costs are likely to be excellent for the car’s first five years.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the MG Cyberster
Overall rating
A
97%
New car warranty duration
7 years
New car warranty mileage
80,000 miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
MG’s new car warranty is one of the best in the new car market, and better than pretty much any rival brands in a similar price bracket to the Cyberster.
The duration is seven years, with a limit of 80,000 miles. This is good news for both new and used car buyers, as it helps the residual value of the Cyberster for new car buyers when they come to sell the car, and it gives near-new car buyers confidence that they are covered for years to come.
In addition to the overall new car warranty, battery components are covered by a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty. This is pretty much standard for all new EVs on sale in the UK, but it’s an extra reassurance that petrol sports cars don’t get.
As of July 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the MG Cyberster. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local MG dealer.
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Renault has expanded its pretty crowded SUV range with the official arrival of the new Symbioz hybrid, which is now available to order in the UK.
Positioned between the brand’s Captur and Austral SUVs, and sitting alongside other high-riding Renault options like the Arkana and Rafale coupé-SUVs and the all-electric Mégane E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech, Renault says that the Symbioz gives the manufacturer “a stronger presence at the entry level of the C-segment”, which includes the popular Nissan Qashqai.
The SUV is powered by a 145hp 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor pairing that provides an estimated fuel economy of 60mpg and a 0-62mph sprint time of 10.6 seconds. The boot offers 492 litres of luggage space (1582 litres with the rear seats folded) and top speed is electronically limited at 106mph.
There are three trim levels on offer, starting with the lead-in ‘techno E-Tech’ package which includes LED headlights and taillights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and a wireless smartphone charger.
The car comes with a ten-inch infotainment screen with built-in Google navigation and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and a ten-inch digital instrument cluster behind the synthetic leather steering wheel. The car sits on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, and heated electric folding door mirrors feature also.
The SUV has rear privacy glass and a rear-view parking camera as standard, and entry-level safety features include hill start assistance, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
The mid-range ‘techno esprit Alpine E-Tech’ grade instead sits on larger 19-inch alloys, and introduces a motorised tailgate and electrically adjustable heated front seats to the range. The top-spec ‘iconic esprit Alpine E-Tech’ builds on the lower trim specs by adding a glass sunroof, a more advanced surround view 3D parking camera, hands-free parking assistance and a premium nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
Pricing for the new Symbioz starts at around £29k. By comparison, the entry-level Nissan Qashqai e-Power hybrid currently costs over £34k, while pricing for the Toyota RAV4 hybrid range begins at just under £40k.
The long-awaited MG Cyberster convertible is now on sale in the UK, which is the most powerful production model in MG’s 100-year history.
The battery-powered sports car currently sits in a class of its own, with the only other electric convertible currently available being the much smaller Fiat 500 Electric cabriolet. Instead, the Cyberster poses more of a sales threat to petrol-powered premium drop-tops like the BMW Z4 and Porsche 718 Boxster.
Equipped with unique design features like its scissor doors and arrow-shaped turning signals, the convertible is powered by 77kWh battery with two different power options.
The single-motor real-wheel drive ‘Trophy’ has an output of 340hp and can reportedly muster 316 miles on a single charge. It can also complete a 0-62mph sprint in five seconds flat.
By comparison, the top-spec all-wheel drive Cyberster ‘GT’ offers Ferrari-rivalling speeds. This dual-motor option instead offers 503hp, and while it can accelerate to 62mph from stationary in a very quick 3.2 seconds, it does offer less battery range – 276 miles to be exact.
The roadster can charge at speeds of up to 150kW (rapid charging), with 10% to 80% battery charge taking 30 minutes at this highest speed.
The car’s electronically-controlled fabric roof can be opened or closed in around 15 seconds at speeds up to 30mph. The car sits on 19-inch alloy wheels as standard (20-inch alloys for the ‘GT’) and is fitted with Brembo brakes with three-mode regenerative braking to maximise energy efficiency.
Standard safety features include lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring as part of the brand’s ‘MG Pilot’ package.
Inside, a ten-inch digital instrument cluster is flanked by two seven-inch displays angled towards the driver. Yet another screen is mounted to the centre console, providing touchscreen access to the dual-zone climate controls.
The infotainment is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a eight-speaker Bose sound system, interior ambient lighting and surround view parking camera also come as standard.
Besides centre console storage, the boot offers 249 litres of luggage space. This is 25 litres less than the Porsche 718 Boxster, not to mention the Boxster also comes with ‘Frunk’ storage under the bonnet, which is not a Cyberster feature.
Now available to order, Pricing starts at just south of £55k for the ‘Trophy’, rising to £60k for the ‘GT’. This is similar pricing to that of the petrol BMW Z4 and Porsche 718 line-ups. All models come with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty and the first customer orders are scheduled to arrive this August.
Available to purchase for a very small number of customers, the limited-run Aston Martin Valiant coupé will soon make its public debut at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed here in the UK.
This powerful supercar is a personal commission designed for Aston Martin’s renowned F1 driver Fernando Alonso, and is powered by a 745hp 5.2-litre Twin-Turbo V12 petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. Developed through Aston Martin’s ‘Q’ division, the manufacturer says that the car’s looks emulate the ‘Muncher’ DBS V8 race car for the 1970s.
The initial idea for the coupé was to make a “lightweight, more extreme, race car inspired version” of the Aston Martin Valour – another limited edition 5.2-litre V12 Aston Martin model that was unveiled last year to mark the brand’s 110th birthday.
Some of the car’s foundations have been 3D-printed, leading to a 3kg weight reduction, while the car’s torque tube which holds the rear end in place during acceleration and braking is made of magnesium, saving an extra 9kg of weight. The 21-inch alloy wheels are also made of magnesium – another 14kg saving.
Six new bodywork inlets draw cooling air onto the carbon ceramic brakes to maintain optimum braking performance, with apertures around the circumference of the wheel allowing the heat generated by the carbon ceramic discs to vent.
The car has also been given a new suspension set-up and greater aerodynamic downforce, and comes with three different driving modes – ‘Sport’, ‘Sport+’ and ‘Track’.
Inside the two-seat cabin, the car is trimmed in plenty of exposed satin-finish carbon fibre and is fitted with a new slimmer-diameter steering wheel which is unique to Valiant and is devoid of physical switches. The gear shifter is also a unique design, with Aston Martin commenting that it has “focused on perfecting the weight and feel of the gear shift.”
Aston Martin is yet to provide any performance stats for the model, and like the Valour, the coupé’s price tag is not exactly marketed by the manufacturer – likely stretching into the seven-figure range. The Valiant is about as exclusive as limited-edition sports cars can get. Only 38 will be sold worldwide, with the first customer deliveries to commence before the end of the year.
New car registrations followed a familiar pattern in June, according to data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with strong fleet sales but abysmal private sales.
Overall, the market was up just 1% over the same month last year. But as has been the case for most of the last year, private new car sales were poor (down 15%) while fleet and business registrations were strong (up 14% and 22%, respectively).
Source: SMMT
At the halfway point of the year, we see that private new car sales are down 12% compared to the first half of 2023, while fleet registrations are up 22% – leasing to an overall increase of 6% on last year.
Making life even more miserable for car dealers in June was the general election. Elections are like kryptonite to car showrooms, as customers shy away from spending money on big-ticket items during a period of national uncertainty. Dealers will be hoping to get a bit of a rebound in July once the election is resolved and a (presumably) new government installed in Westminster.
June saw the best month of the year for electric cars in terms of market share, taking 19% of all new car registrations. This is still down on the full-year target of 22% set by the outgoing government, but the industry is confident that the second half of the year will be stronger than the first (and the limited amount of EV sales data from previous years tends to back that up).
Petrol-powered cars are still dominant with just over half (51%) of all new car sales, but their market share is starting to slip thanks to the steady growth of EVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Diesel, as usual, is disappearing into insignificance with only 6% of the market.
In terms of the half-year result, EV sales are only slightly up on the same point last year, with just under 17% of the market. Based on predicted sales for the rest of the year, that will need to jump to about 30% over the next six months to get to a full-year share of 22% – which is highly unlikely. Fortunately for car manufacturers, there are a few loopholes that they will be able to use to wiggle out of any enormous fines for not hitting their targets…
Good month, bad month
Despite similar overall registration numbers to last June, there was quite a bit of movement among the car manufacturers.
That means that the following manufacturers were pretty much where you’d expect them to be: Audi, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MG, Peugeot, Skoda and Volkswagen. These brands were all within 10% of the overall market for last June, so only minor movements up or down.
Kia Sportage tops the sales charts in June
Source: SMMT
Kia’s family SUV, the Sportage, was the best-selling new car in June, ahead of the UK-built Nissan Juke and resurgent Tesla Model Y. With the market-leading Ford Puma down in eighth place this month, the Sportage has closed in on the Puma for the overall sales crown.
Tesla had two cars in the top ten for the first time in many months, with the Model Y crossover in third place and the freshly updated Model 3 saloon in tenth.
Citroën has unveiled a new ‘Peps’ trim for its pint-sized electric Ami quadricycle, which the brand says is a “sporty version with urban ruggedness.”
Now available to order, its manufacturer says that the ‘Peps’ “bringing together the best bits” from the other range-topping ‘Pop’ and ‘Tonic’ models, but with a new exterior colour – ‘Night Sepia’ grey (which is also available on the standard Ami).
Besides the new colour, the ‘Peps’ differs from the ‘Pop’ and ‘Tonic’ thanks to yellow decals on the front fascia, black bumper cladding, a rear spoiler, and a circular graphic behind the side windows.
The ‘Peps’ comes with with the same yellow and red door decals, as well as interior accessories like a smartphone clip, door nets, a central separation luggage net, a hook, and three storage bins.
Citroën has also scrapped the Ami ‘Cargo’ variant, which was designed to appeal to small businesses that run inner-city errands. Instead, the brand has rolled out a new ‘Ami Cargo Kit’, which can be fitted to any Ami to provide the Cargo’s business-focused configuration (the passenger seat is converted into a storage space) after five minutes of setup.
Pricing for the Citroën Ami ‘Peps’ now starts at under £9k, with the additional ‘Ami Cargo Kit’ priced at just over £250.
Previously only available in dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations, the all-electric Polestar 3 SUV is now available in the UK with a cheaper single-motor rear-wheel drive setup that can reportedly travel further on a single charge.
Simply called the ‘Long Range Single Motor’, this new powertrain choice uses the same large 111kWh battery pack as the ‘Dual Motor’ all-wheel drive version, and can charge at speeds of up to 250kW, with 10% to 80% battery charge taking a reported 30 minutes at this wattage.
The most notable difference is the longer battery range. This rear-wheel drive version can reportedly muster up to 403 miles from full charge – 11 miles more than the ‘Dual Motor’ variants.
This comes with the trade-off of less power. The ‘Single Motor’ has an output of 299hp – down from the Dual Motor’s 483hp – and this slows the car’s 0-62mph sprint time to 7.8 seconds (from the Dual Motor’s 4.8 seconds).
This new powertrain lowers the SUV’s entry-level price by £10k, to just south of £70k, as is part of the brand’s updated ‘2025’ Polestar 3 model range. The ‘Single Motor’ package still includes all of the Dual Motor’s equipment amenities, including a heated steering wheel and rear seats, soft-close doors, Brembo brakes, a surround view parking camera, a head-up display and a Dolby Atmos sound system.
While the ‘Launch Edition’ range sat on 21-inch alloy wheels as standard, the ‘2025’ line-up comes with smaller 20-inch alloys for both the ‘Single Motor’ and ‘Dual Motor’.
When the original Nissan Leaf first appeared on our roads more than a dozen years ago, it’s promise was to be the future of eco-friendly motoring. It wasn’t exciting, the battery range was terrible and the public charging infrastructure was almost non-existent, so unsurprisingly most car buyers saw it as little more than a curiosity.
Then Elon Musk came along.
Musk understood the obvious point – car makers were never going to get the general public excited about electric cars if they were ugly shopping trolleys with little real-world relevance. So he gave us the Tesla Model S, which immediately revolutionised the idea of electric motoring and kick-started the global shift towards EVs that’s now underway.
The Tesla Model S had three key selling points over any other electric car that existed or was in development at the time. Firstly, it was a large five-seat saloon that had a proper real-world battery range of more than 200 miles. Secondly, he built a global Tesla charging network to charge his cars, rather than relying on governments to do it for him. And thirdly, the Tesla Model S was about the fastest thing on four wheels.
The Model S was aimed at buyers of Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 executive saloons. Even lower-spec models offered acceleration that was massively better than any of its more conventional rivals, while top-spec versions could out-accelerate pretty much any Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche supercar on the roads. All while carrying five people and their luggage.
Tesla quickly built up an enormous fanbase, and all of its subsequent models (Model X, Model 3 and Model Y) have followed in a similar performance vein. They were also popular with regular car buyers as opposed to just performance car enthusiasts, and the Tesla Model Y was the world’s best-selling car of any kind – not just EVs – last year.
Other car companies have quickly jumped on the performance bandwagon, with a rapidly growing number of cars that go from a standing start to 62mph (the imperial equivalent of 100km/h) in less than four seconds. And the car companies are not shy about proclaiming their performance levels – a quick check of all the websites from the car companies shown below found that most of them prominently displayed the 0-62mph times for their fastest electric models, which they generally don’t do for their petrol and diesel models. There’s usually accompanying copy and images or video, extolling the performance levels of their electric wondercars.
This week, I was at the launch of the new MG Cyberster roadster (review coming next week). At the press briefing, the MG people were very keen to stress that the Cyberster GT model’s 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds is exactly the same as for the legendary McLaren F1, still regarded by many experts as possibly the finest supercar ever built. If you’d like to buy a used F1, the current going price is about £10 million. A Cyberster GT is £60,000. So you get the same acceleration for 167 times less money…
Why are EVs so fast?
Not all EVs offer this sort of breakneck acceleration; plenty are sold with fairly ‘normal’ levels of performance that are similar to any petrol or diesel family car. But it’s much easier for car companies to generate enormous performance from an electric motor, which can deliver maximum performance instantaneously. A petrol engine, in comparison, generates more performance as the revs increase, so the acceleration is more linear.
With a bigger electric motor, or adding an additional electric motor, getting tremendous acceleration out of any sort of car is simple – like a Tesla saloon that’s faster than a supercar.
So why is this a problem?
Electric vehicles have brought a whole new level of performance to ordinary vehicles, and within the affordability of hundreds of thousands of car buyers. And as older EVs work their way through the used car market, the prices are getting very cheap.
It’s all well and good being able to out-drag a Ferrari, but most Ferraris (or Porsches, or McLarens, or Aston Martins, etc.) are enormously expensive cars, that are usually fastidiously maintained by wealthy owners who tend to have other cars for their day-to-day driving needs.
Their stratospheric price tags and running costs also inevitably limit the number of these cars on the roads, and generally only appeal to enthusiasts who are likely to treat them well.
A quick check on Motors (our preferred used car marketplace) this week revealed that you can buy a 2015 Tesla Model S, which will accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.1 seconds, for £12,750. That’s less than the cheapest new car on sale in the UK, but with supercar-beating levels of performance.
There were about 20 Model S cars for less than £20,000. Several have covered more than 100,000 miles, and a quick check through all the pictures showed many of these cars on budget tyres – one even had three different brands of tyres on four wheels – and a few showed signs of kerb damage on the wheels that hadn’t been repaired.
The electric motor performance won’t degrade over time like petrol engines often do, so these cars will still retain their breakneck acceleration, but potentially on cheap tyres (and possibly brakes), and with wheel alignment issues from bouncing off kerbs or potholes over the last decade. That’s a recipe for trouble.
There are thousands of high-performance electric cars in the process of entering the used car market, and in the next few years we are going to see many more of them at very cheap prices. How long until we start seeing regular reports of used EV drivers getting themselves involved in dramatic accidents when you combine enormous performance, poor driving standards, wet and slippery roads, budget no-name tyres and neglected maintenance?
Back to the MG Cyberster…
The new MG has a big button on the steering wheel, labelled ‘Super Sport’. This unlocks the full 500hp and 725Nm of performance, unleashing acceleration that can frankly feel sickening if repeated too often. Having played with this a few times on the Scottish highland driving route and becoming increasingly nauseous, I then pulled over for a breather. While admiring the scenery, I was joined by a local Scotsman who owned a Tesla Model 3 Performance, but was very enthusiastic about the MG. He knew all about it, and was definitely interested in swapping his Model 3 for a used Cyberster in a few years.
But the Tesla is a four-door saloon and this is a two-seat roadster, I pointed out. “I’m not bothered about that,” he said as he ran around the MG taking lots of photos. “I don’t need a four-door car, it’s the performance I’m interested in. How fast is it?” I gave him the magical McLaren-matching time and his face dropped. “That’s slower than what I’ve got now.”
What about insurance costs?
One thing that’s likely to deter more than a few buyers from a used performance EV is likely to be the car insurance cost. The insurance companies are already wise to the risks of drivers completely unprepared for blistering EV acceleration, and the quickest EVs tend to have very high insurance costs.
The inevitable flip side to that is likely to be a growing number of people driving very fast used EVs without fully comprehensive insurance – or maybe no insurance at all. That, in turn, will drive up insurance costs for the rest of us.
Given that governments are unlikely to intervene to limit EV acceleration, it may be insurance companies that come up with a solution. It’s entirely possible we’ll start to see aftermarket chips or modifications that can limit an EV’s performance, and insurers may well insist on owners fitting these limiters to nobble their cars’ performance in return for reduced insurance premiums.
The fastest accelerating electric cars on sale in 2024
Most of the cars listed above are new or near-new models, having only been launched in the UK in the last year or so. But there are a few cars that stand out for the performance they offer at a ridiculously cheap price, which I’ve noted in bold.
If you’re looking at a new car, you can get a brand-new MG 4 XPower for about £36K (less any discount you can negotiate). If you’re happy to take a nearly-new demo or used car, you can get that down to about £25K. And they’re going to get cheaper, as this model was only launched last year.
The brand-new Volvo EX30 is the Swedish brand’s smallest and cheapest model, starting at £40K for the Twin Motor version. But with two electric motors, it can accelerate faster than a £100K Porsche 911.
On the used car side, Teslas currently represent a performance bargain. As previously mentioned, you can buy a used Model S for less than £13K – less than the price of the cheapest new car on sale, but with better acceleration than a used Lamborghini Huracan of similar age for ten times the price.
Alternatively, you can get a five-year-old Tesla Model 3 Performance from about £16K, with acceleration that will shame just about any petrol car, regardless of age or price tag.
All of the used car prices in the right-hand column above are going to keep coming down over the next couple of years. Right now, there are relatively few five-year-old EVs available for sale compared to petrol or diesel cars. There are more than a million EVs on UK roads today, but about three-quarters of those cars are less than three years old. So the majority of EVs have yet to hit the used car market, let alone filter through multiple owners.
Within a very short period of time, there will be a staggering number of used cars on our roads with performance well in excess of anything most people have ever experienced. As of today, Auto Trader (which includes both car dealers and private sellers) has more than 1,500 used EVs for sale with 0-62mph acceleration of less than four seconds. By the end of this year, that could well have doubled, with prices steadily falling.
Should we be concerned about this? Absolutely. Is there a realistic solution? Other than insurance companies insisting on performance limiters (which are not widely available at this time), I doubt it.
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Just two car brands have held the ‘golden trio’ of Royal Warrants, supplying vehicles to the late Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales – Jaguar and its long-time sister Land Rover. Her Majesty was a huge fan of Land Rover, reputedly in her lifetime owning more than 30 of them.
Yet Land Rover is a name with a fanbase that goes far beyond the Royals and around the globe – from the moment the first basic model was launched in 1948 as a British answer to the WWII-era Jeep, it became the workhorse of choice for anyone with a job to do off-road, from farmers to electricity suppliers to rescue workers.
Later models like the Freelander and Discovery, and an upmarket sister called the Range Rover, extended the appeal of Land Rover beyond the role of utility vehicle, with rural families in particular adopting it as everyday transport.
Despite a diluting of the original brand with the likes of two-wheel drive, and a reputation for terrible reliability and security, Land Rover remains the first choice of many who want an upmarket SUV offering a good drive on the road – but also the ability to go a long way off the road.
Land Rover began life as a single vehicle fro the Rover motor company. After the second world war, many vital materials like steel were still rationed and Rover needed a stop-gap model to keep sales going.
Chief designer, Maurice Wilks, had a farm in Wales where he was making use of surplus US Army Jeeps. He realised he could produce an all-terrain vehicle that was better than a Jeep, made from surplus steel offcuts with light alloy body panels and a Rover engine.
Rover knew its market from the start – among the vital elements of the design were power take-offs, enabling the vehicle to power farm machinery and the like.
Rover launched its ‘Land Rover’ at the 1948 Amsterdam motor show and it was an instant success. By the end of the year, it was Rover’s most popular vehicle and was being exported to 70 countries. Regular improvements followed, a major one in 1956 being the launch of a longer-wheelbase model, followed by the first diesel-engined version a year later.
By 1959, 250,000 Land Rovers had been sold and a new Series II was launched in 1961. It only took seven more years for Land Rover to reach its first half-million sales. By now the catalogue included many different types to suit different industry needs, right up to a small Army truck called the Forward Control – Land Rovers would go on to become a vast part of the British Army’s vehicle roster and they remain so today.
The next milestone for Land Rover came in 1970 with the launch of an all-new upmarket sister model, the Range Rover. This would prove to be equally successful and become a core part of Land Rover’s future. Rover was now part of British Leyland, a merger first with Leyland and then BMC: as BL struggled, eventually falling into state control to avoid bankruptcy, Land Rover success continued, reaching a million vehicles in 1976 – two years later Land Rover Ltd was formed as a separate company within the BL group.
The base Land Rover model had now reached Series III while the Discovery, an all-new sister launched in 1989, widened the appeal beyond the core utility market. A year later, the Series III was updated with a new name – Defender.
By now BL had been privatised and broken up. In 1994, Land Rover gained a new owner, German giant BMW – this lasted just six years but saw in 1997 the arrival of the first Land Rover without a separate chassis. This was called the Freelander and aimed as much at families as farmers – it quickly became the brand’s best-seller and, from 2010, the first mainstream Land Rover to be available with two-wheel drive.
Under Ford’s ownership from 2000, new Range Rover and Discovery models both abandoned the separate chassis but retained their excellent off-road prowess – through the way they were built and increasing electronic technology helping their drivers.
1989 Land Rover Discovery2023 Land Rover Discovery
Ford had also owned Jaguar since 1990, and in 2007 it sold both brands to Tata – the Indian giant set up a new British-registered operation and the two became one under Jaguar Land Rover Ltd or JLR. Tata still owns both brands today.
A controversial move was the axing of the Defender in 2016 – the ‘original Land Rover’. In 2019 an all-new Defender appeared but while highly capable, it had no connection to its predecessor and among those most annoyed by the original’s demise was billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe – he tried to get a deal to continue making old Defenders and when rebuffed he created his own interpretation, the Ineos Grenadier.
Another controversial aspect of the new Defender, and the current Discovery, is that they are no longer built in the UK, but in Slovakia. Other Land Rovers are still British products, however, made at factories in Solihull and Halewood.
Successive rebrands of both Land Rover and Jaguar in recent years have attracted mixed reactions and the latest strategy is also leaving some observers non-plussed. As well as further pruning dealer numbers that have been on the slide for some time, the remaining outlets are being presented as a ‘House of Brands’ with four ‘families’ – Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender – having their own bespoke areas within the showroom. We’ll wait to see how that works out…
What models does Land Rover have and what else is coming?
The current Land Rover range is divided neatly into two – the Land Rovers and their more upmarket (and more expensive) siblings, the Range Rovers.
Core of the Land Rover range is the Defender. It has no connection to its much-admired predecessor, though it remains very capable on and off road. It comes in three wheelbase lengths and the engine choices include a plug-in hybrid.
The Discovery, now in its third or fifth generation depending on who you talk to, is effectively a bigger Defender, though both can be had in seven-seat form. It remains a supreme off-road vehicle but certain aspects spark mixed reactions, especially its awkward rear styling.
The Discovery Sport is, as its name suggests, a slightly less bulky Land Rover, though yet again you can have it with seven seats. When launched in 2015 it replaced the more compact, and long-lasting, Freelander. While again very off-road capable, it more than any other model has epitomised a worsening Land Rover reputation for poor reliability.
The upmarket side of the showroom starts with the Range Rover itself, the fifth-generation model and still the flagship vehicle in the Land Rover range, as it has been since the first Range Rover launched back in 1970. Petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions are available. While upmarket and very highly rated for its luxury, it is every bit as capable off-road as its Land Rover siblings. Again, however, poor reliability has persisted across the generations, and the latest models also suffer from an unwanted reputation for being very easy to steal.
The Range Rover Sport first launched in 2005, effectively as a vehicle for those who wanted a Range Rover but a bit smaller and not so expensive. The latest third generation model includes a couple of plug-in hybrid options with all-electric ranges cresting 70 miles.
In 2011 Range Rover added a third model, the Evoque, which was completely updated in 2019. It’s a medium-sized SUV with petrol, diesel and PHEV drivetrains. Rumours of an electric version are still to come to pass, while Land Rover has never looked like repeating the convertible Evoque that was part of the initial line-up.
The youngest of the current Range Rover roster is the Velar. Launched in 2017 it fills a perceived gap between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport. Built on the same underpinnings as several models from sister company Jaguar, it is popular for its capabilities but again, has earned poor scores for its reliability.
The Velar’s days in its present form are apparently numbered – in 2025 we expect to see a completely new model, only available in electric form. It won’t be the first electric Land Rover though – a Range Rover Sport EV is expected to be unveiled by the end of 2024 while EV versions of both the Evoque and the flagship Range Rover are believed to be on the way.
Also coming is a ‘baby’ version of the Defender likely dubbed Defender Sport while the Discovery is expected to be completely reinvented as an EV – both Discovery variants have lost sales to the latest Defender.
Meanwhile the Freelander is coming back, but initially at least only in China. A new range of EVs will be marketed under the Freelander brand, but with no Land Rover badges, and if they are a success they could be sold globally.
Looking to get behind the wheel of a Land Rover? You’ll have further to travel than you used to, and it could get worse in the future. Back in 2016 JLR had 117 Land Rover outlets, but a revamp saw big investments in huge dealerships selling both brands, but the number of them shrinking below 90.
Now the latest ‘Reimagine’ strategy is apparently seeking to reduce that number even further as the brand sets up for a future focusing on electric vehicles – some of the more outlandish rumours suggest the number of outlets could end up at just 18…
What makes Land Rover different to the rest?
For most of the life of Land Rover you could be sure that if you bought one it would be able to go where all its rivals could not. The vehicles were all four-wheel drive, built to take the toughest terrain.
However, reliability has always been a sticky point, especially in markets outside the UK that are understandably less parochial about British vehicles. The Australians, for example have a famous saying: “If you want to go Outback, take a Land Rover. If you want to come back, take a Toyota.”
You can buy two-wheel drive Land Rovers these days, which to some older fans of the marque is considered sacrilegious. But even the 2WD variants will still be a lot more capable on the rough stuff than most of their rivals, while bringing Land Rover ownership to a wide range of drivers.
A Land Rover fact to impress your friends
All early Land Rover models were painted a light ‘Pastel Green’ and the reason is very simple – Rover had managed to get hold of hundreds of litres of military-surplus paint. Later the ‘standard’ colour changed to a deep bronze green for connected reasons – Land Rovers were an immediate hit with the Army and the green was seen as a military colour.
Summary
Land Rover’s reputation for producing the off-roaders that really can go as far off the blacktop as you could ever want has survived a host of challenges, from constant changes of owner to questionable reliability.
Today there are a host of SUVs challenging those wearing Land Rover and Range Rover badges. Many offer similar levels of luxury and technology endowing them with serious off-road ability, and several have a better reputation for reliability – but still those in the market for a ‘proper’ 4×4, especially those living in rural areas, will more than likely look first towards Land Rover.
The range-topping Volkswagen Golf R has gained a slight performance boost, small exterior tweaks and a few interior upgrades, including the introduction of a newer infotainment system.
To start, the Golf R has inherited the exterior tweaks recently given to the standard Golf line-up, including a slimmer grille, 3D LED headlights and an illuminated Volkswagen badge. Its manufacturer has also re-sculpted the front and rear bumpers, introducing larger air intakes. The car now sits on lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels which are reportedly better equipped to handle thermal stress of high speed braking.
The hot hatch is powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and seven-speed automatic gearbox pairing, but with a small power boost. The Golf R now offers an output of 333hp – an increase of 13hp – and that shaves a tenth of a second of the car’s 0-62mph sprint time, which now stands at 4.6 seconds. This is a full second faster than the recently unveiled Golf GTI Clubsport, which uses the same engine.
Top speed is electronically limited at 155mph, though this can be boosted to 167mph if you opt for the optional ‘Performance Package’. Volkswagen has also revisited the engine’s coolant technology and tweaked the ignition to provide a slightly louder engine soundtrack.
Inside, the Golf R has also been given a larger 13-inch infotainment display that juts out of the centre of the dashboard – a system that comes with Chat GPT AI as a built-in voice assistant feature. The optional Performance package also adds an improved G-metre (which calculates peak and mean acceleration) and GPS lap timer.
As part of this facelift announcement, Volkswagen has also unveiled a new Golf R Black Edition, which offers a bit more over the Golf R besides its glossy black exterior finish. The model comes with darkened IQ matrix LED headlights and a bigger roof spoiler.
That sums up this mild model update. The refreshed Golf R will go on sale in Germany next month, and the UK soon after, with UK pricing and specifications yet to be confirmed.
The Volkswagen Golf R currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 70%. This score is a couple of points lower than both the standard Golf model and the Golf GTI.
Make and model: Honda Civic Sport Description: Mid-size five-door liftback, petrol-electric hybrid Price range: £36,495 (plus options)
Summary: The Honda Civic blends sharp steering, proper physical controls and excellent fuel economy into one of the most satisfying family hatchbacks on sale.
Some cars impress you gradually. Others make their point within the first few metres. The Honda Civic falls firmly into the second camp.
After stepping out of Honda’s electric e:Ny1 and into the Civic, the difference was immediate. The steering felt alive. The controls felt intuitive. The whole car seemed to respond with a clarity that’s becoming increasingly rare. Within a few hundred yards, it was obvious that this felt like a “proper” Honda.
On paper, the Civic doesn’t shout. It’s a mid-sized family hatchback in a market dominated by SUVs, and it’s not priced as a bargain alternative. But after a week of everyday UK driving, it proved to be one of those cars that quietly wins you over.
Price and equipment
The current Civic is offered exclusively as a petrol/electric hybrid (the basic, unplugged variety), which simplifies the range but inevitably pushes the starting price higher than some petrol-only rivals. It isn’t a budget hatchback, and Honda doesn’t pretend that it is.
Equipment levels are competitive rather than extravagant. You get the essentials most people expect, and you’re not forced into a maze of expensive option packs to make the car feel complete. It’s sensibly specified, and there’s a reassuring sense that the money has been spent on engineering rather than gimmicks.
In a market where many cars are trying to impress you with screens and lighting effects, the Civic takes a more restrained approach.
Inside the car
Climb inside and the first thing you notice is how refreshingly normal it feels. There’s a central touchscreen, of course, but it doesn’t dominate the dashboard in the way so many modern systems do. Below it sit proper physical controls for climate and key functions — real dials and buttons that you can adjust without taking your eyes off the road.
It might look slightly retro at first glance, especially compared to the giant screens in some rivals, but after a few days you realise it’s simply better. It works. You press something, and it does what you expect. There’s no digging through menus to turn the temperature up by one degree.
The hexagonal metallic trim stretching across the dashboard is a particularly nice touch. It disguises the air vents within the pattern and gives the cabin a distinctive identity without resorting to piano black plastic or fake wood. It’s subtle, but it’s thoughtful.
The digital instrument display is clear and legible, although it does feel slightly crowded with information. You never struggle to find your speed, but it could afford to be a little calmer in presentation.
Wireless Apple CarPlay worked well during our week with the car. The wireless charging pad, however, did not. Like the one in the e:Ny1, it struggled to hold a charge reliably and felt more decorative than useful.
Front seats are supportive and comfortable over longer journeys. Rear space is decent for a car of this size, although taller passengers may notice the roofline encroaching on headroom. The rear seats themselves are reasonably comfortable, and the boot is well shaped, with clever touches like a sideways-retracting luggage cover that feels properly engineered rather than an afterthought.
On the road
The first few metres tell you almost everything you need to know about the Honda Civic. After stepping out of the e:Ny1 the week before, the difference was obvious straight away. The steering feels alive in your hands. It’s light, but not vague. There’s a clarity to it that most modern cars seem to have forgotten.
You turn into a corner and the car responds exactly as you expect. There’s no hesitation, no artificial weighting, no sense that software is deciding how much feedback you’re allowed to feel. It just does what you ask. That alone makes the Civic more enjoyable to drive than a large number of its rivals.
Ride comfort is well judged. It’s firm enough to keep the body under control but never crashy, and it deals with everyday bumps in a calm, grown-up way. On a longer motorway run it settles into an easy rhythm, and wind and road noise are kept nicely in check. It’s not whisper-quiet, but it’s certainly refined enough for regular long journeys.
The hybrid system works smoothly in the background most of the time. Around town, it often runs on electric power alone, and the switch to petrol power is subtle. You don’t have to think about it — which is exactly how it should be.
If you press on a bit harder, the automatic gearbox (which uses a different system to a conventional automatic with fixed gears) can feel slightly elastic. When you accelerate briskly, the engine note rises and holds steady rather than stepping neatly through gear changes, and that can feel less connected than a traditional automatic. It’s improved compared to similar systems from other brands, and in everyday driving it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re in the mood for something more engaging, you do notice it.
Fuel economy over the week averaged 53mpg in mixed driving, which is excellent for a car of this size and performance. That makes the Civic easy to justify as a sensible daily car, even if you still enjoy the way it drives.
The one frustration, which has become increasingly common across the industry, is the constant stream of warning chimes. The speed alert sounds at just 1mph over the limit and can’t be permanently disabled. On paper it’s there for safety. In reality, it becomes background noise you’d rather not have to deal with.
Even so, when the week was up, this was a car I genuinely didn’t want to hand back. That doesn’t happen often. The Civic manages to feel modern without losing the sense that it was engineered by people who care about how a car should drive. And in 2024, that feels quietly refreshing.
Verdict
The Honda Civic isn’t the loudest voice in the room. It isn’t chasing trends or trying to reinvent the family hatchback. Instead, it focuses on getting the fundamentals right.
It steers beautifully. It feels thoughtfully engineered. It offers strong real-world fuel economy and sensible practicality. The interior prioritises usability over spectacle, and that pays dividends in daily driving.
It isn’t perfect. The CVT gearbox can feel slightly detached when pushed, the driver assistance warnings are intrusive, and rear headroom could be better. But none of these overshadow the broader impression of a car that has been designed by people who care about how it actually feels to drive.
After a week with the Civic, handing the keys back was genuinely disappointing. That doesn’t happen often.
For a broader ownership assessment, including safety, running costs and reliability data, see our full Honda Civic Expert Rating.
We like:
Steering feel that’s rare in modern family cars
Proper buttons and dials instead of touchscreen overload
Excellent real-world fuel economy
Well-judged ride comfort and refinement
Clever, practical touches like the sliding rear luggage cover
We don’t like:
Gearbox can feel disconnected under hard acceleration
Rear headroom is tight for taller passengers
Speed warning chimes are intrusive
Wireless charging pad struggles to hold a charge
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Honda Civic, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
If you are a fan of the TV drama series ‘Game of Thrones’, you might know that it was filmed in Croatia. And as a visitor to the country, you can join a tour to find out more about that fantasy show. But driving in Croatia is no game and requires research before you go there. Here’s what you need to know.
Fine weather, lovely beaches, stunning scenery and masses of history – these are just some of the reasons why tourists visit Croatia and make it part of their holiday plans.
Remains of Neanderthal people have been found in Croatia, dating this southeastern European country’s history back at least 40,000 years. It has been invaded by the Greeks, the Romans and the Croats (from today’s Poland), and this interesting past can be seen in the country’s architecture.
Blessed with a wonderful coastline that stretches along a huge area of the Adriatic Sea, and warm weather, Croatia is a popular destination for sun-seekers. Squeezed between Slovenia to its north and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the south it’s the coastline that dominates here and there are hundreds of islands dotted along this area of the territory, some of them inhabited.
The coast’s water is clear and unpolluted – Croatia has been ranked first for swimming water quality by the European Environmental Agency. The country also has eight national parks.
Also high up the plus-point list is the country’s cuisine – some of the region is influenced by Italian food while other areas take their inspiration from Austria, Turkey and Hungary with meat, fish and vegetable dishes abundant on restaurant menus.
From a business point of view, manufacturing is dominant, with plastics, textiles, wood products and petrol refining among the big businesses operating here.
The capital Zagreb is well worth a visit especially for the nightlife while Dubrovnik, a World Heritage site, is home to the ‘old town’ and city walls that so many tourists like to see. Other popular cities include Sibenik, Pula and Osijek.
It’s possible to drive to Croatia if you have the time, probably going through France and Italy, so you’ll pass through some wonderful scenic areas long before you reach Croatia’s border.
Flying in and hiring a vehicle is another option for travel and you’ll find a wide selection of car rental companies, such as Sixt, Alamo and Europcar, all operating from the country’s main airports of Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Split.
But driving in Croatia is a completely different experience from doing so in the UK, not just because the people there drive on a different side of the road from us. Planning a driving holiday or using a car on business, requires careful planning and a good understanding of what you can, and can’t do behind the wheel while there.
Here The Car Expert looks at the most important elements to consider when planning to drive in Croatia, and we’ve included a handy checklist. As each journey is unique, always check that you have everything covered for your particular visit.
Basic rules
You must be 18 years or more and hold a full driving licence to get behind the wheel in Croatia. Just the licence card will do, as the paper counterpart is no longer a requirement. International Driving Permits are recognised but are not a necessity.
You can use your own car in Croatia for up to six months at a time (temporary import). You’ll need to prove that you have car insurance if you have your own vehicle so take your certificate with you. You should also always carry with you documents that show the identity of the vehicle, such as a V5C ‘logbook’. And always carry your passport or other form of ID.
If it’s registered in the UK, your vehicle’s ‘home country’ must be shown on it. A ‘UK’ sticker on the rear is one way to do this but you can also show a small UK badge on both number plates if you wish. The ‘GB’ badge is no longer allowed, even within European ‘golden stars’ and the same goes for country signs such as the English, Scottish or Welsh flags.
It’s quite likely you’ll be using a hire car, in which case always have the rental agreement paperwork with you while driving. If you’re under 21 you will probably be charged a ‘young person’ surcharge for renting a vehicle. There could also be an extra insurance fee for anyone over 70.
Speed limits
Speed limits are shown in kilometres (km/h) rather than miles (mph). In built-up areas the speed limit is 50 km/h (31 mph). Outside of towns the limit is 90 km/h (56 mph) while main A-roads (expressways) have a 110 km/h (68 mph) top speed. Motorways have a blanket 130 km/h (81 mph) limit.
The traffic police are vigilant and will hand out on-the-spot fines, reflecting the seriousness of your speeding offence. Stray 10 km/h (6 mph) above the limit and you face a 30 Euro (£25) fine. At the other end of the scale, go more than 50 km/h (31 mph) over and it’s a whopping 2650 Euro (£2200) penalty.
Speed camera detection devices are illegal when driving on Croatian roads. And don’t use a mobile phone while driving unless it is ‘hands-free’. The fine is 130 Euro (£110).
Blood alcohol limits
We don’t recommend any drinking of alcohol if you are going to drive, but you should be aware of the country’s limit. For drivers over 25 years it’s 0.5 g/l (0.5 milligrams) blood alcohol level, which is the same limit as in Scotland. Anyone under this age must register zero (0 g/l).
For comparison, it’s 0.8 g/l (0.8 milligrams) in England and Wales.
Penalties for a positive test range from a fine, severity dependent on the amount over the limit you are, to a prison sentence.
What to carry in the car
You must have in your car a warning triangle, Hi-Viz reflective jacket and a first aid kit. The authorities also expect you to have headlamp converters for your headlights (or have manually adjusted lamps) so you don’t dazzle on-coming drivers. And consider carrying some spare bulbs with you.
Specialist suppliers, such as motoring organisations, sell ‘European driving kits’ for £25-£30, which contain everything you are likely to need for a Continental road trip, and it’s well worth investing in one.
Seatbelts
Seatbelt rules are the same as in the UK: if your car has them, they must be worn. It’s the driver’s responsibility to make sure everyone is buckled up – there’s €130 (£110) fine for not using one.
And children need to be fastened in too – any child under 135 cm tall must ride in the rear of the car. Offspring over this height and up to 150 cm can go in the front but must be in an approved child restraint for their size. A similar €130 fine applies for not doing this.
Driving
Keep to the right-hand lane as much as possible but if you are overtaking you must do so on the left. Never attempt to overtake on or near a level crossing, pedestrian crossing or major junction. If you are being overtaken do not accelerate and keep well over.
You will usually give way to vehicles using the ‘main’ road unless signs state otherwise. At crossroads that have no controls or road markings, give priority to vehicles on your right. Give way to emergency vehicles as soon as you can.
In Croatia you should use dipped headlamps all year round. Horns must be used sparingly – they are not banned but only use them in an emergency or to avoid a collision.
It can get extremely cold in Croatia and, if it snows, you will be expected to have the appropriate winter tyres fitted to your vehicle between November and March.
When towing a trailer or caravan ensure that your car and the rig don’t exceed 12 metres in length, 4 metres in height and 2.55 metres in width. Make sure you can see clearly behind you with the use of two wide rear-view mirrors.
Traffic signs
Traffic lights are red, amber and green and follow a similar pattern to the UK. You might see an additional ‘arrow’ light which, if lit, means you can proceed, checking that it’s safe to do so.
Road signs usually have pictures which are self-explanatory and include the ‘cattle in road’, ‘queue ahead’ and ‘roadworks’ warning signs that UK drivers will be familiar with. The roadworks one is yellow rather than our white though.
Warning signs are triangles with a red border, mandatory instruction ‘order’ signs are circles with a red border or blue circles, while information signs are square or round and mostly blue.
Most signs will be written in Croatian where applicable, but the stop sign features the word ‘Stop’ in English, as does ‘WC’. Directional signs are generally white squares with the town names written in Croatian and the distances shown in kilometres.
Fuel availability
Unleaded and diesel fuel and are widely available on Croatia’s roads and there is growing coverage for electric vehicles (EVs), especially in hotels. Fuel stations stay open until late (10pm) and some even operate 24 hours a day. Debit and credit cards are accepted. If you are visiting an island, check on fuel station availability first.
There are plenty of rest stops too, ranging from a basic car park and toilet to a full service area with shop, restaurant and even a play park.
Motorways in Croatia are paid for by tolls. It’s a simple ticket set-up where you take one on entering an M-way and present it when leaving. You pay the person in the toll booth – the amount will be shown on a display board, so you don’t have to speak!
Parking
There is plenty of space to park your car although most car parks are open air rather than under cover. You can park anywhere on the street if it has white lines and a ‘P’ sign. Check carefully for parking instruction signs.
Where you have to pay a charge, this is simply done by parking meter, a ‘TISAK’ vending kiosk, by text service or via an App, and you can opt to have a text message sent when you are nearing time expiry.
Parking is prohibited on or near a bend, intersection or brow of a hill, and in areas reserved for other activities, like bus or tram stops and taxis.
Emergency number
In Croatia, as with most of Europe, you can dial 112 and make contact with emergency services such as fire, ambulance or police, 24 hours a day. Operators will speak English, French other European languages.
Make and model: Nissan Qashqai N-Design e-Power Description: Mid-sized five-door SUV, petrol/electric hybrid Price range: £34,845 (plus options)
Nissan says: “The comprehensive update to the styling, on-board tech and interior design reinforce the Qashqai’s position as the segment-leader, as well as its place in automotive history as a segment-creator.”
We say: The updates to the Nissan Qashqai are not extensive, but they do improve the experience for both driver and passengers.
The Nissan Qashqai really needs no introduction. It’s the best-selling British-built car in the UK, and a success story for Nissan’s UK operations. Designed in London, developed in the Midlands and built in Sunderland, this is about the most British car you can buy today – even if the badge on the bonnet is Japanese.
Here, we have the updated version of the Qashqai, which is now on sale across the UK. It freshens up the current generation, which was launched back in 2021. Given that it was only three years old and one of the country’s best-selling cars, there was no need for a major overhaul and so Nissan has concentrated on small but meaningful tweaks to improve an already solid package.
The car we drove was Nissan’s clever e-Power version of the Qashqai. It’s categorised as a hybrid vehicle, but that’s selling it short. Most hybrids are rather unpleasant things to drive, with annoying whining noises and often awkward shifts between petrol and electric power. The Qashqai e-Power isn’t like that. Essentially, it’s a petrol-powered EV.
If the idea of a ‘petrol-powered EV’ sounds confusing, don’t worry. It’s actually quite simple, and much nicer to drive, as we’ll explain below.
What is it?
The Nissan Qashqai is the archetypal family car of the 21st century. It looks like a rugged SUV, but in reality it’s little more than a jacked-up hatchback. Usually, this type of car is called a crossover, as it merges SUV styling with conventional car mechanicals. There are no claims of any kind of off-roading prowess here, so don’t plan any Saharan adventures.
This is the third-generation Qashqai, which launched in 2021 and is now lightly updated. It seats five people with enough room for your regular luggage needs. It’s available in a regular petrol engine, with either manual or automatic transmission, and in the e-Power petrol/electric version, which is automatic only.
The updates have improved the car in a few ways, and Nissan has also simplified the model range a little.
Nissan Qashqai N-Design (red) and Tekna (blue)
Who is this car aimed at?
The Nissan Qashqai is the UK’s definitive family car, so it’s no surprise that it will appeal to families. There are no high-performance or uber-luxury models, just a very conventional range of trim levels with very conventional standard and optional features.
As part of the mid-life update, there’s now a sportier-looking ‘N-Design’ trim level as shown in most the pictures on this page (the red car). There’s no performance improvements, but it’s a bit sharper to drive.
Who won’t like it?
When you’re one of the most popular cars in the country, you’ll inevitably get people who rail against you. Those people have plenty of similar cars to look at from other brands, as pretty much every car company has been copying the Qashqai for the last 15 years.
There are also people who still believe that Japanese brands like Nissan don’t have the same levels of engineering and build quality as German brands. They’re wrong, but there’s not much you can do to convince them otherwise. Their loss…
First impressions
Family crossover wagons all tend to follow a similar formula, and the Qashqai e-Power is no different (mainly because it pioneered the formula, at least in Europe). The new headlights and grille on the updated Qashqai look more sophisticated than the original version, but the rest of the car is pretty par for the course.
Step inside and you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences between the facelifted model and the original. There are some revised trim patterns and seat trim designs, while on higher-spec models, there’s Alcantara (artificial suede) covering various surfaces.
The interior is still blandly black in most versions, with a high-mounted widescreen infotainment system. If you covered the Nissan badge on the steering wheel, you could easily be in any one of about 14 different family crossover vehicles. Given that Nissan also sells the Qashqai-sized Ariya EV, which has a lovely interior, it’s a bit disappointing.
If all this sounds uninspiring, it’s only because it’s a formula that works and every car manufacturer knows that. All the buttons and switches are where you’d expect them to be, and you’ll immediately ignore the Nissan operating system on the big screen by using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. So it’s all very familiar, and everything’s easy to use.
We like: New front end styling dramatically freshens things up We don’t like: It’s a bit uninspired inside
What do you get for your money?
As part of the facelift, the e-Power version of the Qashqai now comes in five trim levels – ‘Acenta’, ‘N-Connecta’, ‘N-Design’, ‘Tekna’ and ‘Tekna+’ – rather than three as before. They’re all mechanically the same, with a petrol engine generating electricity for a 190hp electric motor, so it’s just equipment levels that change.
Being an EV (although a petrol-powered EV), there’s no manual gearbox option. And all the e-Power Qashqais are front-wheel drive – if you need/want four-wheel drive, you’ll have to have a regular petrol-driven version.
Pricing has crept up a bit, but there are now more choices and cheaper options than before. The Acenta Premium model starts at just over £34K, and you then jump a bit over £2K to the N-Connecta model, another £3K to either N-Design or Tekna, and finally another £3K to Tekna+ at just under £43K.
All the main safety kit is standard on all models, so all you’re paying for with the higher trim levels are creature comforts and more advanced (and pricey) safety systems.
Acenta Premium gets 18-inch wheels, cloth seat upholstery, reversing camera, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired), automatic headlights and wipers, a 12-inch widescreen touchscreen central display and auto-folding side mirrors.
Step up to N-Connecta and you get all of the above plus Google connectivity, 360-degree surround cameras, wireless charging plus wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, customisable ambient lighting, a digital driver’s display instead of old-school dials, roof rails and privacy glass. You also get Nissan’s Pro Pilot semi-autonomous driving assistance system, which can steer/accelerate/brake to keep you in your lane. This model is definitely a worthwhile upgrade over the Acenta Premium specification.
The next step gives you a choice – either Tekna or N-Design, for the same money. This is new, giving customers a choice between a more luxurious specification or a sportier one.
Tekna builds on N-Connecta, adding an electric driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, artificial leather upholstery, 19-inch wheels, a head-up display, auto tailgate and panoramic glass roof.
N-Design offers a different set of specifications, reflecting its sportier side, You get 20-inch wheels, some specific N-Design body trim pieces, black trim everywhere instead of chrome, black quilted leather and Alcantara upholstery throughout the cabin. Compared with the Tekna for the same price, you don’t get electric or heated seats, the head-up display or the auto tailgate. It definitely looks a bit sharper than the other models, and is likely to be the model used for most Qashqai advertising.
At the top of the tree, Tekna+ offers all the kit. Wheels are 20 inches in diameter, the windscreen is heated, the front seats will massage you, the front passenger seat gets electric adjustment, the standard stereo is replaced by a ten-speaker Bose unit (£590 on Tekna and frankly not worth it), and there’s a few different colouring to some trim pieces so that you can your car apart from non-plus Tekna models.
We like: All the main safety kit is standard on all models We don’t like: Tekna+ trim seems a bit pricey for what you get
What’s the Nissan Qashqai e-Power like inside?
As mentioned earlier, the cabin is pretty conventional in almost every way. We drove both the Tekna and N-Design models, so they had a good selection of toys.
Probably the best news is that all Qashqai models keep real buttons and knobs for the climate control system, rather than putting the controls into the touchscreen. That makes it much easier to adjust on the go, especially if you just want to dial the temperature up or down, or hit the demister button.
The cabin is roomy enough in both the front and the back – a tall adult won’t be that comfortable in the back seats, but that’s going to be the same on any car in this size category. You can adjust the driver’s seat and steering wheel by good amounts, so most people will be able to get comfy quite easily.
The boot is decent without being class-leading in size. Make sure you test any new car with whatever you need to carry on a regular basis (bikes, cellos, golf clubs, etc.) before you sign any order forms. Models from N-Connecta upwards get roof rails for mounting racks or boxes on top of the car – the Acenta Premium doesn’t get these as standard, but a Nissan dealer should be able to fit them easily enough.
As with most new cars, the central touchscreen handles all the music and navigation duties. Nissan has worked to improve the tech that powers the screen, as well as the services it offers. For all models apart from Acenta Premium, Google is now integrated into the operating system. That means Google Maps instead of Nissan’s own mapping system, and “Hey Google” voice control to adjust things like the car’s air-conditioning, seat heating, and other systems. You can also donwload apps from Google Play, and there’s Amazon Alexa compatibility as well.
All e-Power models get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, so you’ll probably never need to use the factory nav system. In cars from other brands (particularly Volvo and Polestar), Apple users have been massively short-changed by Google integrations, but we haven’t had a chance to play with things like Apple Maps, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and other apps i the new Qashqai yet. If you use Apple CarPlay, make sure you’re happy with how everything works on a new Qashqai before signing on the dotted line.
There are sockets for both USB-A (older) and USB-C (newer) cables, so you can charge pretty much any device. A wireless charging pad is standard on everything except Acenta Premium. Like wireless chargers in most cars, it’s a bit rubbish whenever you hit a bump/speed hump/pothole, so you’ll probably end up plugging in to charge anyway.
Higher-spec cars get a panoramic glass roof, which helps brighten up the interior a lot. It’s a £650 option on lower-level models, however. At night, you can configure ambient lighting on N-Connecta and above, in up to 64 different colour options.
We like: Space is adequate in cabin and boot, good range of driver’s seat and steering wheel adjustment We don’t like: Interior materials are not best-in-class for quality but still reasonable
What’s the Nissan Qashqai e-Power like to drive?
This is where the Qashqai e-Power is different to almost any other car on sale (well, apart from its larger sibling, the Nissan X-Trail).
Technically, the e-Power is considered a hybrid as it has both a petrol engine and an electric motor. But that’s not really accurate, as the petrol engine doesn’t drive the car – it’s not even connected to the wheels. A normal hybrid model can drive as a petrol car, an electric car, or a bit of both. Sounds great in theory, but the shifts between each mode tend to be clunky, and there’s a fair bit of mechanical complexity in getting the petrol and electric motors to play happily together.
The e-Power system works differently. Its petrol engine is simply a generator to convert petrol into electricity, which is sent either to a small battery or directly to the electric motor, depending on how urgently it’s needed. The electric motor is what drives the car – hence our earlier description of it as a ‘petrol-powered electric car’.
So driving the Qashqai e-Power feels a lot like driving an electric car – because it is. You get the smooth, powerful feeling of an EV under acceleration, rather than a petrol engine revving up then changing gear and revving again. You also don’t get the chopping and changing between petrol and electric power units as you would in a regular hybrid car.
Like any electric car, you get instant response for strong low-speed acceleration, which tapers off as you get closer to the national speed limit (top speed is ‘only’ 105 mph, which is 20+mph less than the petrol model). In real-world terms, it’s great for the cut and thrust of urban driving, but not as strong as you might expect when overtaking on a motorway with a full load of passengers and luggage.
The fuel economy on pre-facelift models is no better than you’d see on a hybrid family car from other brands, but it’s still reasonable. We haven’t had a chance to propely assess the facelifted model, but there are no mechanical changes so it should be similar. And if you like the idea of driving an EV but hate the idea of charging an EV, then you’ve come to the right place.
The petrol engine will switch on and off as necessary to maintain charge to the battery and electric motor, but it’s not usually intrusive. The updated Qashqai improves this further with thicker glass and better soundproofing, so it’s even quieter. It’s quite impressive, with minimal road or wind noise up to the legal speed limit (and possibly beyond, although I couldn’t possibly comment on that…)
Other than the power unit, the e-Power model drives just like an automatic petrol Qashqai. That means it’s very predictable and not remotely exciting, but then that’s exactly what most customers want from their family wagon. Even the N-Design model, despite its big wheels and slightly flashier styling, isn’t a ‘sports’ model. A lack of any sporting pretentions is a good thing and makes a nice change from car companies that really want you to believe that their family crossover is somehow inspired by F1/Le Mans/world rallying or something.
We like: e-Power system is much nicer to drive than a conventional hybrid We don’t like: Fuel economy is no better than a conventional hybrid
How safe is the Nissan Qashqai e-Power?
The Qashqai range was tested by Euro NCAP in late 2021 and awarded a top five-star rating. It scored exceptionally well across the board, with 90+% scores for adult passenger impact protection, child impact protection and accident-avoidance technology.
Although the facelift hasn’t added any new safety kit, the Qashqai’s Euro NCAP scores are some of the best on record. Better still is the fact that all of the key safety kit is fitted standard on all models, rather than cheaper versions missing out on potentially life-saving technology.
All models apart from the Acenta Premium get Nissan’s ProPilot driving assistance technology, with lane guidance and traffic jam assist to allow the car to start and stop almost completely autonomously in low-speed traffic.
Verdict
The Nissan Qashqai has been a hugely successful car, both here in the UK and around the world, ever since the first model was launched because it’s always been a very competent car that’s easy to live with. It’s absolutely fit for purpose as a family car, and the latest updates certainly continue to keep the Qashqai competitive in the new car market.
It’s not particularly exciting to drive, but the e-Power system of a petrol engine generating electricity for the electric motor is much nicer than a conventional petrol/electric hybrid. It is quite a bit dearer than a regular petrol automatic Qashqai in the same trim level, however.
Finally, it’s worth repeating what we’ve said in every previous Qashqai review. The Nissan Qashqai e-Power is designed and built here in the UK, so every vehicle sold is good for jobs, exports and the economy. That will be of more importance to some buyers than others, but you can be certain that you don’t have to compromise on quality or safety by buying a British-built car.
Model tested: Nissan Qashqai e-Power N-Design Price (as tested): £34,845 Engine: 1.5-litre petrol plus 190hp electric motor Gearbox: single speed, automatic
Power: 190 hp Torque: 330 Nm Top speed: 105 mph 0-62 mph: 7.9 seconds
Fuel economy (combined): 53.3 mpg CO2 emissions: 119 g/km Euro NCAP safety rating:Five stars (2021) TCE Expert Rating:A (76%) – as of June 2024
Fiat has announced a new compact crossover that will be available with both hybrid and electric options that the brands says is inspired by the Panda hatchback of the 1980s.
As its name suggests, it’s a bit bigger than the city car-sized Panda hatchback that we have become accustomed too, and is based on the same foundations as the upcoming Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera. The car’s boxy shape, rectangular faux grille and sloping rear window are all nods to the first-generation Panda of the 1980s, which had a sales tlly of nearly five million models during its lifespan.
These retro design cues are paired with square pixel LEDs lights in the front and back, much like the electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 hatchback that arrived in 2021.
That just about sums up the firm details we know about the new Grande Panda so far. Fiat is yet to show us what the car looks like on the inside, and powertrain, trim specification and pricing details are yet to be confirmed.
We are sure to find out more at Fiat’s 125th anniversary celebration this Summer. This model is supposedly the first of several Panda-inspired family cars, as Fiat has pledged to launch one new addition every year until 2027.
BMW has revised its high-performance M2 coupé for 2024, including new exterior colour options and slight tweaks to the chassis setup, power output and infotainment package.
On sale for around a year now, BMW has updated the latest second-generation M2 so that the sports car “once again sets the benchmark for driving pleasure in a compact two-door form.” The car’s aggressive exterior looks remain unchanged, but BMW has expanded the range of bodywork colours to 14 options by adding new shades of yellow, green, blue and purple.
The most notable changes are under the hood. BMW says that the coupé’s 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six petrol engine (manual and automatic options offered) has been given a 20hp boost – now 480hp total (0-60mph in four seconds) – and that the chassis technology has been improved, though exactly how the chassis has been improved hasn’t been explained in detail.
2024 BMW M2
Inside, BMW is now offering the M2 with a revised flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in leather and fitted with gearshift paddles. Electrically-adjustable ‘M Sport’ seats have also been added to the options list.
The car’s interior layout is practically identical post-update, including the 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 15-inch infotainment display pairing. However, these screens now run the brand’s newer ‘Operating System 8.5’ which is reportedly more user-friendly and customisable than the prior system.
A head-up display with augmented reality navigation is offered for an extra fee that will project navigation instructions onto the road ahead.
The cheaper and less powerful BMW 2 Series Coupé range has also been given a small facelift – a line-up that is being manufactured alongside the M2 at BMW’s factory in Mexico. This includes the same infotainment updates and more exterior paint colours, as well as some slight bodywork tweaks.
2024 BMW 2 Series Coupé
The 2 Series now has a chunkier grille surround and body-coloured side skirts – replacing the black trim side skirts of the pre-facelift model. In contrast, the wing mirrors are now finished in black. The top-spec ‘M240i’ model also gets a slightly bigger diffuser on the rear bumper.
A semi-automated ‘parking assistant’ feature that can handle acceleration, braking, steering and gear shifting tasks during parking manoeuvres is now standard, as are 18-inch low-weight alloy wheels, sport seats, and dual-zone automatic air-conditioning.
The engine options remain unchanged, with ‘220i’, ‘230i’ and ‘M240i’ options to choose from (all automatic only). The top-spec ‘M240i’ can complete a 0-60mph sprint in 4.3 seconds, which is only 0.3 seconds slower than the M2, which now costs around £17k more.
Pricing for the updated M2 and 2 Series Coupé now start at £63k and £37k (not including additional on-the-road charges) respectively.
The BMW M2 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 62%. Although it receives high praise from motoring journalists, its overall score is weighed down by inevitably high running costs, while its safety rating and CO2 emissions levels are only average.
By comparison, the BMW 2 Series Coupé currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, based on a score of 68%. This is a combination of excellent media review scores, good CO2 emissions, an average safety rating and relatively poor running costs.
Smart – or smart if you write it as its creators intended – has had a somewhat rollercoaster history. The concept was created by a fashion watchmaker, made possible by a deal with the oldest car maker of all, Mercedes-Benz, and launched as a ‘fashion’ brand selling a tiny and distinctive two-seater city car.
In Smart’s early days, the concept appeared to work. The ‘Smart car’, as it was known to most people, proved particularly popular as an urban runabout and city centres formerly swarming with mopeds and scooters – such as Rome – soon became overrun with Smarts. And young, trendy buyers bought the cars because they believed they looked good being seen in one.
The novelty soon wore off, however. Attempts to spread the Smart’s appeal to a four-seater and a roadster failed, despite the latter being quite well received, and the brand leached money, to the point where the company launched to sell it was shut down and became a mere division within the Mercedes-Benz family.
Various attempts to reposition Smart, eventually turning it fully electric, failed to generate much in the way of profits. However, in 2019 the Chinese giant Geely rode to the rescue, reaching a deal with Mercedes that saw Smart relaunched as a manufacturer of electric cars built in China, with most of the quirkiness that had marked the brand out in the first place removed.
The first Smart appeared in 1998 but the concept for a small city car had emerged more than 15 years earlier – not in the design studio of Mercedes-Benz, which would eventually make the cars, but at Swatch, the Swiss company renowned for making fashionable watches.
Swatch head Nicolas Hayek pitched his idea for a small and stylish city car, that could be personalised like his watches, to several car manufacturers. Swatch initially signed a deal with Volkswagen in 1991, but the car maker pulled out of the project and Mercedes owner Daimler-Benz replaced it in 1994. A subsidiary company called MCC (Micro Compact Car) was set up to produce what became the Smart.
The first two-seater Smart City-Coupe and City-Cabrio appeared in 1998, making immediate headlines for their tiny dimensions and recognisable shapes, which were like nothing else on the market. The production cars weren’t quite as radical as Swatch had envisaged, and within a year Daimler-Benz bought out the watchmaker’s shares and Swatch’s involvement ended.
The personalisation concept remained, however. Most notably, the car had swappable plastic body panels that could be unclipped and replaced in minutes. The idea was that owners could keep multiple sets of panels to swap around at will, choosing the look of their car according to their mood. Unsurprisingly, no-one did this…
While very small, the car was also promoted as being very safe, with a visible safety cell usually painted in contrasting colours to the plastic panels. Small petrol engines offered power outputs of about 60hp – though later you could buy upgraded versions produced by Mercedes tuner Brabus, which raised this to a staggering 75hp.
By the time the original Smart was facelifted in 2002 it was known as the Fortwo, and in 2004 it gained a sister with four seats called the (you guessed it) Forfour. This was a more conventional car, based on the Mitsubishi Colt, but this only lasted three years on the UK market.
More positively received, though equally short-lived, was the Smart Roadster, a two-seat mid-engined sports car sold between 2002 and 2005. It only had a 696cc turbocharged engine but was fun to drive, let down by only being available with an unpleasant-to-operate gearbox.
The extra models did not last long because Smart found it very hard to make money, losing close to €4bn between 2003 and 2006. By then sales were sliding, so Smart was terminated as a separate company and absorbed completely within Daimler.
Smart cars in the early 2000sSmart cars in 2024
A second-generation Smart Fortwo was produced between 2007 and 2015 and for the first time an electric version was made widely available, though it only had a maximum range of around 80 miles.
The third-generation Smart Fortwo, launched in 2014, looked distinctly different to its predecessors, as updated safety regulations required a new shell that gave the car a much bulkier shape than its predecessors, with a proper bonnet section. The Forfour was revived, but this time it was basically a reworked Renault Twingo.
Both the Fortwo and Forfour were also offered in electric form and from 2019 these became the only cars available, as Smart tried to turn itself into an electric-only car brand. The electric models added ‘EQ’ to their names (the same designation Mercedes-Benz uses for its electric models)
Both were cheap compared to rival EVs but suffered from poor battery range. The EQ Forfour, in particular, could have been a highly practical EV but in normal driving owners struggled to get much more than 50 miles between charges – and charging was anything but rapid. Unsurprisingly, the Smart division still struggled to make a profit.
Smart’s effective rescue came in 2019 when Daimler signed a deal with Chinese giant Geely. An assembly plant in China is now building a completely new range of electric Smart cars, larger and more conventional than their predecessors. The first of these, the Smart #1 (yes, they want you to call it “Hashtag One”…), arrived in 2023.
What models does Smart have and what else is coming?
Today Smart is in the process of revival and repositioning – tiny city cars are out, larger family models in, and all electrically powered. Currently just one is available, the Smart #1 – it’s a five-door small crossover targeting the likes of the Kia Niro and Volkswagen ID.3, and has been generally well received, especially for its safety specification.
A second model is arriving imminently in showrooms, called the #3. This is effectively a coupe version of the #1, with a much more aerodynamic shape.
We don’t know what happened to the #2 but perhaps Smart doesn’t like even numbers – the third model planned will be an SUV, and called the #5. The concept made its debut at the Beijing motor show in April 2024 – when the production version arrives, possibly before the end of 2024, it will be the biggest Smart yet.
Where can I try a Smart car?
The number of outlets selling the Smart has fluctuated over the years and you should not assume that by going to a Mercedes-Benz dealer you will be able to test drive a Smart.
The brand relaunched in 2023 with 23 UK sites, which was around half the number it had ten years earlier, and it has plans to expand this number to 36 ‘in the coming years’.
What makes Smart different to the rest?
To be honest, the Smart of today is far less different compared to when the brand launched just before the millennium. Then the cars scored on their tiny proportions, distinctive shape and their fashion-led promotion with such quirks as the easily swapped plastic body panels.
Today’s Smart is now being presented as a much more conventional manufacturer of much larger cars, though compared to the mainstream opposition they still have enough quirkiness about them to appeal to buyers looking for something a little different.
A Smart fact to impress your friends
The short-lived Smart Roadster could have been reborn as a UK-made car wearing a badge from lost British classics.
In 2006, a year after Roadster production ended, UK businessman David James planned to buy the tooling from Daimler, and build new cars in a factory in south Wales badged as MGs, reviving the then-dormant British sports car brand.
James didn’t get the rights to the MG name, so he then planned to market the roadster as the AC Ace, AC being another British brand that dated back to 1907. The project also never came to anything.
Smart Roadster
Summary
The Smart story is one of form not triumphing over function. Today, the new Smart models have very little of the quirky appeal that marked out their predecessors – but they’re probably more likely to succeed and attract the number of customers Smart needs to be a viable car company.
Alfa Romeo has announced the UK pricing for its compact battery-powered Junior Elettrica SUV, including a starting price that is slightly cheaper than the similar electric Jeep Avenger.
First unveiled in April, this small SUV was originally named the ‘Milano’ – that moniker has now been scrapped due to issues raised by Italian politicians. Taking the entry-level place of the small Mito and Giulietta models that have been retired in recent years, the Junior will sit below the Tonale and Stelvio SUV’s in Alfa’s range.
The range in Europe will include both petrol-electric hybrid ‘Ibrida’ and electric ‘Elettrica’ variants, but so far Alfa Romeo has only announced that the ‘Elettrica’ will be arriving in British showrooms.
Two power outputs are now available to order – the standard 156hp ‘Elettrica’ with a 250-mile range and the sportier 240hp ‘Elettrica Veloce’ with up to 215 miles of range. Both are compatible with charging speeds of up to 100kW, with it taking 30 minutes to charge the battery from 10% to 80%.
By comparison, competitors like the Smart #1 and Renault Mégane E-Tech offer battery ranges of up to 273 and 280 miles respectively, while the Jeep Avenger – built on the same Stellantis platform as the Junior – can muster up to 248 miles on a single charge.
Three trim levels are available, including a limited-run ‘Elettrica Speciale’ which makes use of the entry-level powertrain.
Above the standard specification, which includes LED exterior lights, rear parking sensors, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch infotainment display pairing compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the ‘Speciale’ adds a ‘Sports’ styling package, a leather steering wheel, a rear view parking camera and a motorised hands-free tailgate.
The ‘Speciale’ swaps out the standard cloth upholstery for a vinyl and fabric finish for the seats that also have a massage function as part of this trim.
Key trim level features
Lead-in ‘Elettrica’ (from £33,895)
18-inch alloy wheels
LED headlights and tail lights
Black mirror covers
Rain sensing wipers
Rear parking sensors
Cloth upholstery
Interior ambient lighting
10-inch digital instrument cluster
10-inch infotainment display
Adaptive cruise control
Lane keeping assistance
Keyless entry and start up
Limited-run ‘Elettrica Speciale’ (from £35,695)
All standard features that are not replaced
‘Sports’ styling package
Rear privacy glass
Vinyl and fabric upholstery
Electrically-operated driver’s seat with massage function
Leather steering wheel
Alfa Romeo navigation software
Rear view parking camera
Motorised boot lid
Top-spec ‘Elettrica Veloce’ (from £42,295)
All standard features that are not replaced
More powerful powertrain
Lowered suspension
Red sport brake callipers
20-inch alloy wheels
Black roof
Rear privacy glass
Leather and suede upholstery
Leather steering wheel
The ‘Elettrica Veloce’ predictably has the most luxurious interior trimmings made of leather and suede. The most important features is of course the more powerful 240hp powertrain, but the ‘Veloce’ package also includes lowered suspension and larger 20-inch alloy wheels, as well as a two-tone exterior with a black roof.
Pricing for the new Junior Elettrica now starts at just under £33k, rising to just north of £42k for the ‘Elettrica Veloce’. This lead-in price tag is more than £1k cheaper than the standard electric Jeep Avenger.
The Mini Countryman is a medium-sized five-doorSUV and the largest offering in the Mini range. This is the third-generation model, which is available to order as standard with a petrol mild-hybrid powertrain, alongside an all-electric model which we cover here.
What will be most noticeable for many people is how much larger the new Countryman is compared to the previous model. In fact, it’s longer than a Nissan Qashqai.
British motoring outlets have been largely impressed with the new Countryman so far, with some reviewers suggesting that the largest Mini brings some fun into the family SUV sector, while Dean Gibson of Auto Express concludes that the Countryman “is a more practical and family-friendly car than ever before.”
As of May 2026, the Mini Countryman has a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 70%. It scores top marks for its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, while also earning good grades for its media review scores and low tailpipe emissions. However, running costs over the first five years of ownership are only average.
Body style: Medium SUV Engines:petrol Price:From £29,350 on-road
Launched: Spring 2024 Last updated: N/A Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview (including electric model) Score: 8 / 10 “The classy interior and high-end technology of the Mini Countryman really help it stand out from its rivals, and it has a cheeky fun character about it that can so often be missing from a family car. In its latest form, the Countryman has grown over its predecessor, so it now offers genuine practicality, while the optional sliding rear seat boosts flexibility whether you need to transport people or luggage.” Author: Dean Gibson, Max Adams Read review
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol automatic Cooper Exclusive Score: 8 / 10 “The latest Mini Countryman is about as far removed from the original Mini as it’s possible to get in terms of size, but it taps straight into the modern brand’s DNA by offering style by the bucketload. It’s packed with neat touches, and is a more practical and family-friendly car than ever before. Unfortunately, it has also lost Mini’s sense of driving fun along the way.” Author: Dean Gibson Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 10 / 10 “Super stylish inside and out and available with petrol or electric power, the new Mini Countryman is as practical as it is good looking.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview (including JCW) Score: 7 / 10 “Mini has added a big dose of style and practicality to the Countryman and the result will make a far bigger impression on fleet than the generations before it.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Strange technology gimmicks aside, the Mini Countryman is a deeply impressive family SUV. It might only be just practical enough to carry your family around, but it makes up for that with its attractive design, stunning build quality, strong levels of standard equipment and stellar driving experience.” Author: Luke Wilkinson Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Mini Countryman has grown in size and become more practical, but brings that cheeky recipe the brand is known for.” Author: Charlie Harvey, John McIlroy Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Mini’s small SUV is bigger than ever and gets a funky, spacious interior, but the circular infotainment screen and textile upholstery could prove too quirky for some.” Author: Darren Cassey Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview (including JCW) Score: 7 / 10 “The Mini Countryman has a lot going for it in terms of style, tech, and most notably, practicality: the cabin is absolutely huge. It’s perhaps not the high-quality product that many will be expecting, and the driving experience is capable rather than exceptional, but there’s no arguing with its style.” Author: Ivan Aistrop Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Countryman’s a lot of fun. It might have grown over its predecessor, but it feels like a much smaller car to drive – and the slight size increase has had a huge impact on passenger comfort. Its interior technology also impresses and it’s probably the best car in its segment to drive.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Regit
Score: 8 / 10 “Mini has really injected the fun into this new generation of Countryman. Its design is refreshingly different, while the interior is smart and modern, with plenty of cool features that will no doubt appeal to tech-loving buyers. The special attention made to sustainability is welcome as well.” Author: Jack Evans Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The new mild hybrid entry-level Mini Countryman is a fine family hauler, thanks to a fair turn of speed, good economy and a posh-feeling interior.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The new Mini Countryman is fit for purpose and then some. It’s roomy, versatile, and in JCW form a spirited enough performer.” Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Clean Air Index: 7.9 / 10 Energy Efficiency Index: 3.9 / 10 Greenhouse Gas Index: 2.2 / 10
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of March 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the new Mini Countryman to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Countryman, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Fuel consumption
Average
Score
Petrol models
46 mpg
C
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Petrol models
139 g/km
C
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
22
B
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£250
C
Year 2
£593
C
Year 3
£947
C
Year 4
£1,199
C
Year 5
£1,568
C
Overall
£4,557
C
The Mini Countryman should be a fairly inexpensive car to own and run, according to ownership data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our technical partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
Servicing and insurance bills should be very competitive compared to cars of similar size and budget, although fuel consumption – which the biggest cost for most people – is only middling.
As of March 2026, we are not aware of any outstanding DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Mini Countryman Electric. However, this information is updated very regularly so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Mini dealer.
Awards
Significant UK trophies and awards that the Mini Countryman has received
2025
UK Car of the Year Awards – Best Medium Crossover
Similar cars
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Make and model: Honda e:Ny1 Advance Description: Compact electric SUV Price range: £42,195 (plus options)
Summary: The Honda e:Ny1 is an easygoing electric SUV with decent space and smooth performance, but higher noise levels and everyday irritations make it feel average for the price.
Honda has a reputation for doing things its own way. Even when the rest of the market charges off in one direction, Honda often takes its time, refines the engineering and then arrives with something carefully considered. So when the e:Ny1 appeared as the brand’s mainstream electric SUV, expectations were reasonably high.
This is Honda’s family-sized EV, broadly comparable to the petrol HR-V and aimed at buyers who want to switch to electric power without stepping into something overly futuristic or intimidating. It’s practical, sensibly sized and pitched at the heart of the market.
After a full week of living with it in typical UK conditions, though, the overriding feeling isn’t that Honda has produced a bad electric car. It’s that it hasn’t produced a particularly distinctive one either. Nothing is disastrously wrong, but very little feels class-leading — and at this price, that matters.
The e:Ny1 sits in a competitive part of the electric SUV market, but it isn’t pitched as a budget option. It’s priced alongside established European and Korean rivals, which means expectations around refinement and polish are naturally higher.
Equipment levels are generous. There’s a large central touchscreen, digital driver display, leather-style upholstery, wireless smartphone connectivity and a full suite of safety systems. On paper, it looks well kitted out.
The issue isn’t what you get. It’s how cohesively everything works together once you’re using it every day.
The Honda e:Ny1 is based on the petrol HR-V platform, with a clean but conservative exterior design and a front-mounted charging port.
Inside the car
Climb inside and the first thing you notice is the huge portrait-oriented 15-inch touchscreen dominating the dashboard. It’s unusual in a market where most systems are landscape-shaped, and visually it looks modern and quite smart. The graphics are clear and well presented, and at a glance it feels contemporary.
However, most of the car’s functions are routed through that screen, including the climate controls. That means you’re often tapping and scrolling rather than simply reaching for a physical dial. Over the course of a week, that becomes more irritating than impressive. It isn’t that the system is unusable — it’s just not especially intuitive when you’re trying to adjust temperature or ventilation on the move.
You quickly find yourself relying on the steering wheel buttons instead, which are actually quite well laid out and easier to use without taking your eyes off the road. In a slightly ironic twist, the old-fashioned buttons end up feeling like the most user-friendly part of the cabin.
The seats in our test car were finished in a pale grey leather-style trim, which looks attractive and brightens up the interior nicely. Whether it would stay that way is another question. Dark denim jeans, for example, felt like a potential long-term enemy. Comfort-wise, the seats are adequate rather than outstanding. They’re fine for everyday journeys, but they don’t offer the sort of support that makes a long motorway drive feel effortless.
One curious detail is the glass roof arrangement. The front seats get a simple, manually retractable blind that works perfectly well. The rear seats, however, use removable shade panels that have to be taken out by hand and stored somewhere else. It feels like two different design teams solved the same problem in completely different ways. It works, but it’s an odd solution.
There are some thoughtful touches. The cupholders are pleasingly deep and hold tall bottles securely, and the charging port is located in the nose of the car, which makes forward parking at public chargers straightforward. Our test car came with both a Type 2 cable for wallboxes and public charging and a three-pin domestic plug cable, which is useful flexibility.
Practicality is decent rather than exceptional. Because the e:Ny1 is based on the petrol HR-V rather than a dedicated electric platform, it doesn’t make quite as clever use of space as some purpose-built EVs. There’s no separate front boot for charging cables, so they live under the boot floor. That’s fine until the boot is full of luggage and you need to get to them.
Inside, the Honda e:Ny1 features a large portrait touchscreen, pale leather-style upholstery and a practical boot, though there is no separate frunk.
Driving range and charging
Battery range is a key consideration for any electric car, and here the e:Ny1 delivers broadly what you’d expect on paper. In practice, though, the usable range feels quite sensitive to heating and air-conditioning use, particularly in colder weather. Turning the climate system on has a noticeable impact on the projected miles remaining.
On the plus side, the range indicator itself seems reasonably honest. Over longer drives it didn’t appear wildly optimistic or pessimistic, which is reassuring when planning journeys.
Regenerative braking is a key function for electric cars, as it’s a way of gaining ‘free’ energy to gradually recharge the battery every time you lift off the accelerator or step on the brake pedal. But on the e:Ny1 it’s not particularly convincing. Even when set to its stronger setting, it feels relatively mild, and frustratingly it doesn’t always stay where you’ve left it. We found ourselves repeatedly adjusting it upwards because it seemed to reduce itself. Over a week, that becomes a small but persistent annoyance.
On the road
Electric cars are often praised for their refinement, and around town the e:Ny1 feels smooth and easy to drive. The transition between electric power and any background systems is seamless, and it’s simple to thread through traffic.
At higher speeds, though, the refinement doesn’t quite match the best in class. Wind and road noise are more noticeable than in several rival EVs, which slightly undermines the calm atmosphere many buyers expect from an electric SUV. It’s still quieter than the equivalent petrol HR-V, but among EVs it doesn’t feel especially hushed.
The ride is acceptable, leaning towards firm rather than cushioned. Over rougher surfaces it doesn’t glide in the way some competitors manage. Steering and braking feel safe but somewhat vague, lacking the precise feedback that inspires real confidence on faster A-roads. It’s not difficult to drive, but it doesn’t feel especially engaging either.
Another persistent irritation is the driver assistance systems. Like many new cars, the e:Ny1 will warn you the moment you drift 1mph over the speed limit. Over a few miles that’s mildly annoying. Over a week, it becomes genuinely wearing.
On UK roads, the Honda e:Ny1 delivers smooth electric performance but is less refined than many rival electric SUVs at motorway speeds.
Verdict
The Honda e:Ny1 isn’t fundamentally flawed. It’s practical enough, reasonably well-equipped and easy to drive. The electric range is workable, and the cabin has some thoughtful touches.
What it lacks is a clear reason to choose it. It doesn’t feel especially refined, especially spacious for its size or especially polished in daily use. The touchscreen-heavy interface can frustrate, the regenerative braking setup lacks consistency, and the overall experience feels more generic than you might expect from a brand with Honda’s engineering heritage.
It’s not a bad electric SUV. It’s simply an average one — and at this price point, average isn’t always enough.
For a broader ownership assessment, including safety, running costs and reliability data, see our full Honda e:Ny1 Expert Rating.
We like:
Honest and consistent battery range display
Smooth and easy to drive around town
Clear, modern screen graphics
Practical front-mounted charging port
Competitive cabin and boot space
We don’t like:
Noisier than many rival EVs
Climate controls buried in the touchscreen
Regenerative braking doesn’t stay on its strongest setting
Over-sensitive driver assistance warnings
Feels average for the price
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Many drivers want to get the best out of their car while they own, or run, it. And that often includes changing its looks, improving its performance or fuel economy, or altering its use.
If you own the car privately, that’s entirely your decision and you can go ahead with whatever changes you want (remembering to tell your insurance company of any modifications).
But when you lease or finance a vehicle – as many millions of drivers do in the UK – it’s a slightly different story. While leasing does not necessarily exclude you from making changes, you just have to approach it differently.
Most leasing companies will allow certain mods to their cars as long as any work can be reversed at the end of the term and put back to how it was at the start of the contract.
That includes cosmetic changes such as adding alloy wheels, performance changes like remapping the car’s engine, and usage changes such as adding a towbar or roof rack.
What you are permitted to have done all depends on the individual leasing company, but these companies will often allow changes if they are not going to leave any lasting damage or marks on the car when you return it. So it’s always worth asking to see what you can do and it’s important that you seek permission before you make any changes.
If you don’t do that, you could end up invalidating the warranty on the car or, worse still, you might get hit with a penalty when you come to hand back the vehicle, to cover the costs of returning it to its original condition.
Cosmetically, drivers often want to add alloy wheels, window tinting, or even a complete vinyl wrap, especially if this is a business car. All of these features are often allowed as they are quite simple to return to original when the car is handed back.
The same goes for replacement tyres, adding a roof box, or remapping the car’s engine (reprogramming or ‘chipping’ the ECU control unit) to improve performance or fuel economy. All of these can be reversed.
While the roof box addition is OK, don’t fit roof bars unless you have permission as these can leave permanent marks on a car’s bodywork. And wrapping a car should be done by a high-quality professional so that any markings, such as advertising slogans or artwork, can be safely removed as if they were never there.
Adding a towbar is more problematic because it usually involves drilling holes in the car’s underneath which the lease company might not like. The same goes for adding body extras such as front or rear spoilers, any changes to the interior trim or suspension modifications.
Not everyone will like your choice of mods so, even if you are permitted by the leasing company to make them, the lender could increase your monthly payments to make up for any shortfall that comes from devaluing the vehicle with your modifications.
Private number plates don’t leave any damage so there shouldn’t be a problem if you want to add yours to a lease car. But this can only be done once you have taken delivery of the vehicle and you will have to get permission from the leasing company of course. And make sure you also tell the DVLA licensing authority and your insurer if you are planning on changing the plate marking.
Renault has revealed the latest changes coming to its compact Captur crossover range, including revised exterior looks and an infotainment overhaul.
Built on the same foundations as the smaller Clio hatchback, the Captur has taken a few exterior styling cues from the newer Renault Scenic E-Tech SUV, including a re-sculpted front end with narrower LED headlights, a higher bonnet and a new LED daytime running light design on either side of the bumper.
Not much has changed inside, apart from the addition of a larger 10-inch portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen fitted front and centre on the dashboard. The system is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a wireless smartphone charger is also included as standard.
Renault has also updated the upholstery trim options. The mid-range ‘Techno’ gains yellow top-stitching to contrast its grey seat fabric, while the top-spec ‘esprit Alpine’ trim features synthetic leather on the seats and door panels and a blue-grey insert on the dashboard as shown below.
The range of engine options is broadly the same – consisting of a 90hp petrol and 145hp hybrid model – but diesel options have now been removed, as demand for diesel cars has sharply declined in recent years.
Pricing for the update range now starts at just south of £22k, which is £5k more than the Captur’s initial launch price in 2019. The crossover is available to order now, with the first customer deliveries expected to arrive on UK roads in the second half of this year.
