Fiat has launched the Grande Panda Hybrid in the UK, which will join the electric version of the company’s new compact SUV in showrooms this summer.
Like its electric sibling, the Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid shares its underpinnings with a raft of Stellantis models like the Citroën C3 and Vauxhall Frontera.
At the heart of the hybrid model is a 1.2-litre engine delivering 110hp, combined with a 48-volt battery and six-speed automatic transmission. The system integrates a 21kW (28hp) electric motor and a small battery, so its electric propulsion is inevitably limited.
The hybrid system provides electric power to launch, creep in stop-start traffic, and park, and the Grande Panda can operate in full-electric mode during gentle low-speed driving, but only for just over half a mile at speeds under 18mph.
The main purpose of the electric motor is to support the petrol engine to provide smoother acceleration, silent city driving, and lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The exterior design follows its electric sibling with what Fiat calls “a contemporary reinterpretation of the 1980s Panda”, with its distinctive pixelated LED headlights that are designed to “evoke retro video games”. Other distinctive features include cube-like taillights, blacked-out pillars, 3D, ‘Panda’ lettering on the doors and similar Fiat branding at the back.
Inside, the cabin is spacious and there’s a generous 412-litre boot capacity, plus numerous storage solutions throughout the cabin – such as in the cleverly designed 13-litre dashboard, three litres of which are housed in a single compartment.
The Hybrid models add a new entry-level trim, called Pop, to the Icon and La Prima trims already available on the electric version. It starts at just over £18K.
Grande Panda 4×4 concept
Hard on the heels of the launch of the new Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid, Fiat has revealed a concept for a new Grande Panda 4×4, following on from previous generations of Fiat’s hugely popular Panda 4×4 model.
It’s a concept model at the moment but will almost certainly end up in production, although Fiat is cagey about saying exactly when.
The new Grande Panda is available as an EV or the new hybrid version discussed above. While details of what’s going to be under the Grande Panda 4×4’s bonnet haven’t been released, Fiat has revealed that the all-wheel-drive Grande Panda is planned with an electrified rear axle, meaning that it will be either a full EV or a far more electrically biased hybrid than the Grande Panda Hybrid outlined above.
The eighth-generation Lexus ES luxury saloon has made its first public appearance in Europe ahead of its official arrival in 2026.
The latest version of the Lexus luxury saloon, which competes in the executive transport market dominated by the big three German brands, is for the first time being offered in two full-electric versions alongside the existing hybrid models.
Long a favourite in the US, the ES only launched in the UK in 2019. The replacement for that model was unveiled at the Shanghai motor show in April and has now been revealed in European specification.
The new ES is the second of a trio of new EVs from Lexus – the updated RZ SUV was unveiled in March and another model will follow in early 2026, the company still to give any more clues as to the format of this car.
Underpinning the new ES is a brand-new platform designed to take both electric and hybrid powertrains under the Lexus ‘multi-path’ build strategy. Features of this platform include housing the battery pack entirely under the floor and combining the motor, inverter and power control unit in one more compact component. This both saves weight and allows more versatile use of the cabin layout.
There will be two full-electric versions of the car – the front-wheel-drive ES ‘350e’ uses a 77kWh battery and a motor with 224hp, returning an 8.2-second 0-62mph time, while the dual-motor ‘500e’ offers all-wheel drive and a 543hp output via its 75kWh battery.
While WLTP range figures are still to be determined the car’s designers are targeting 300 miles for both variants. Both are also compatible with 150kW DC charging points, enabling a 10 to 80% recharge in 30 minutes.
Lexus is yet to confirm which of the hybrid versions of the ES, dubbed ‘300h’, will be sold in the UK. Based on a 2.5-litre engine the powertrain will offer 201hp with either front or all-wheel drive. A third ‘350h’ hybrid model with 247hp will only be sold in Eastern Europe.
The designers of the ES believe those familiar with the outgoing model will particularly notice the smooth and uncluttered interior, dominated by a 14-inch touchscreen, the largest yet in a Lexus and said to offer improved functions with faster response times.
Below this, the model debuts the ‘hidden switches’ feature – while separate physical buttons are fitted they are concealed by the dash upholstery, only becoming apparent when the car is turned on.
The Lexus ES is expected in showrooms in the Spring of 2026 with UK specification and pricing set to be announced closer to its on-sale date.
Many used cars will come with some sort of warranty to cover parts for a short period of time, but anyone who has spent good, hard-saved cash on a decent car should be thinking about buying a used car warranty of their own.
A used car warranty covers you for parts and labour repair costs if your car fails dramatically. They vary greatly and each will have its own cap on age, mileage and the total amount of payout, so it’s worth looking carefully at what’s on offer before signing up to anything.
Deciding whether to buy a warranty is a valid consideration for a used car buyer and it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of having the cover in the first place.
For every owner, the situation will be different. Some might have easy access to parts for their car. Others might be a dab hand at repairs or know someone who can help. A few will have bought a cheaper car that doesn’t even warrant an expensive repair if something goes seriously wrong with it.
But for most people, the consideration is this: do I want the peace of mind of having some financial support behind me if my car suddenly needs an expensive fix? Or do I think that the monthly premiums I pay for the warranty cover would work out more than the cost of any repair bill I encounter?
The cost of a warranty will vary according to the age and value of your car plus the mileage it has already done. The level of cover will also have an impact – cover that goes over and above the engine and main mechanicals will raise the premium, but there are lots of extras you can add in.
Anything that can naturally wear out – tyres, battery, exhaust, clutch – will not normally be covered.
So if you’ve bought yourself a used car, or your car has reached the end of its new car warranty, where should you go to find some cover? All the leading used car warranty providers have good websites to guide you through their offerings. All you have to decide is which one is right for you.
The benefit of all these websites is that they are not aimed at serious car lovers, but people who just want to choose the right policy for their needs. Each company has its own strengths and USPs, but all of them offer the time-saving option of being a one-stop shop for your next used car warranty.
They say: We deliver superb value and peace of mind in equal measure
ALA Insurance is well known across the UK for its two flagship products – warranty and GAP insurance – as well as other specialist automotive insurance policies.
ALA offers three levels of cover; silver, gold and platinum. The top level covers most mechanical and electrical components although there are some listed exclusions such as non-mechanical and electrical parts, consumables or complex elements like wiring harnesses. It includes wear-and-tear cover for named components, and diagnostics up to £50.
Silver level is the cheapest and covers less than the other two levels, but it is available for much longer – cars can be up to 16 years old, which is well worth keeping in mind if you’re looking at buying an older car.
The website promises to do everything for you and that’s the selling point. Motoreasy provides same-day authorisation for warranty work, handles discussions about any work directly with the repairer in one of its 10,000 garage partners nationwide and can even collect and return your car. It also pays the repair garage direct so you don’t have to get involved.
Unlike some warranties, the Motoreasy ones cover wear and tear, along with overheating faults, air conditioning, emissions failures, in-car entertainment and even satnav faults. Their policies don’t cover accident damage or consumable parts such as brakes pads, wiper blades and clutch plates – unless they were faulty from new.
There are three types of policy to choose from – A, B or C – with A being the most comprehensive, and they offer a lower cost version called Lite which covers repairs following a roadside breakdown. Policies are tailored to suit you so each is differently priced, and you can choose how long you want the cover for: one, two or three years. And you can keep costs further down by agreeing to pay some of the repair costs yourself.
Alternatively, you can add some features in when customising your policy. The additions available include air conditioning, air bag system, electric vehicle parts, multimedia such as CD player or satnav, and MOT failure.
To qualify, your car must not have a pre-existing problem and must have been regularly serviced.
The AA is best known as a roadside assistance company so it’s no surprise that 12 months basic breakdown cover is one of the standard features of its used car warranty. With cover provided by Warranty Management Service Ltd, the AA has ten years of experience in this particular field of vehicle insurance.
Almost all mechanical and electrical faults are covered by an AA warranty as is in-car entertainment and remote key fobs, diagnostics, oils, fluids, and parts replaced in pairs such as shock absorbers and springs.
There’s no limit to the number of repairs you can have and the AA has access to a nationwide network of repair shops. If a repair looks like taking a long time, car hire or even overnight accommodation is included in all policies.
Standard cover is called Protect Essential and is available for cars up to ten years old with less than 100,000 miles. An enhanced package, called Protect Plus adds extra features but is only available for cars up to eight years old and 80,000 miles.
Warrantywise has five levels of cover to cater for different ages and mileages of vehicle – 04/40 cover, for example, is for cars that are less than four years old and have done less than 40,000 miles while 12/120 cover is for older cars up to 12 years on the road and with 120,000 miles on the clock. Each has a basic level of cover that includes unlimited repairs, car hire, parts and labour costs and roadside assistance. Costs vary for each customer because you have the option of customising your policy to suit your own needs.
Your warranty won’t replace worn parts or any non-mechanical or non-electrical parts. Warrantywise promises to check the market to make sure it covers more parts than its rivals – but choosing to remove some of those parts for your particular cover will lower your premium.
Warrantywise asks for cars to be fully serviced and with no known faults when the policy is taken out.
Warranty Direct is owned by by Firstbase, a leading car warranty company, and its warranties are underwritten by the insurer QBE.
It offers a single, comprehensive warranty cover as it believes that it’s more transparent and less confusing, and it also means customers don’t have to check the fine print to establish what is included within the price bracket they opted for. Different levels of excess payments are provided, giving customers a more flexible way to finance their deal.
The cost of cover varies significantly depending on car make, model and mileage, but the company does offer cover starting at £10 per month. Vehicles must be under 12 years old and have covered less than 120,000 miles and cover is quite comprehensive: it includes mechanical and electrical items such as air conditioning, brakes, heating system, oil seals, safety features and four wheel drive.
Warranty Direct doesn’t have special offers or incentives, claiming instead that its quotes are as low as possible from the start.
Like many policies of this kind, Dynamo Cover’s warranty will cover the cost to repair or replace manufacturer fitted components and parts that have failed. You can usually boost your cover by adding in ‘Wear and Tear’ cover, which deals with parts that have failed because they’ve worn out due to over-use.
There is no average cost of cover because the company’s charges are dependent on the car’s age, make and model. There is no easy guide, says the company, adding that it’s important to buy more expensive products that will cover your vehicle, rather than ‘buy cheaper products and find they don’t include cover’.
Dynamo’s warranty products do not cover the costs to repair or replace consumables, or damage caused by lack of maintenance. They offer a large variety of policies as standard, and most will cover engine and drivetrain problems, but you can also include cover on air conditioning units, in car entertainment and other features.
Most of its policies will only cover vehicles that are under ten years old with less than 100,000 miles on the clock.
*The Car Expert has commercial partnerships with ALA Insurance, the AA, MotorEasy and Warrantywise. If you click through to their websites and proceed to purchase a used car warranty, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.
This article is continually updated to ensure the information is accurate. Last update: May 2025.
The Nissan Micra is an upcoming small electric five-door hatchback. It was previewed in early 2025 before being officially revealed in full in May 2025. It’s expected to go on sale in the UK by the end of this year.
For the first time, the Nissan Micra will be an electric model and there will be no petrol version. Based on the new Renault 5 E-Tech, the Micra will be built in the same factory in France. It has been designed at Nissan’s design studio in London.
There will be a choice of two motors and battery combinations:
90kW (122hp) motor, powered by a 40kWh battery. This should yield a driving range of about 190 miles.
110kW (150hp) motor, powered by a 52kWh battery. This should offer a driving range of about 250 miles.
We’ll get exact numbers once final UK-spec models are put through the official lab tests.
Size-wise, the new Micra will inevitably be similar to the Renault 5. That means an overall length of less than four metres, but with a long wheelbase (the length between the front and rear wheels) and short overhangs (the length in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels). That will mean much better cabin and boot space than you might expect on a small car, and significantly better than the previous Micra.
As with most new EVs, there will be an emphasis on connected car services, so you will be able to use a dedicated app to check on your car’s battery status, plan charging stops on long journeys and pre-condition the battery for optimal charging speeds. Nissan uses Google’s built-in services to provide most of this functionality, as well as voice control and other Google Play apps.
Pricing will, unsurprisingly, follow that of the closely related Renault 5. The range will start at £23K and run up to £30K for the top-spec model with the larger battery. You can start ordering in September, with first customer cars expected right at the end of this year or very early next year.
We’ll update this page as more information about the new Nissan Micra becomes available. First media reviews from the European launch are likely to be published in September, with UK reviews in early 2026.
Body style: Small five-door hatch Engines: single electric motor, front-wheel drive Price: From £22,995
Launch date: Late 2025 UK arrival date: Early 2026
Image gallery
Media reviews
The first media reviews of the Nissan Micra are likely to appear in autumn 2025. Keep checking back for the latest updates.
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
We don’t expect the Nissan Micra to undergo Euro NCAP safety testing until late 2025 or early 2026. Keep checking back for the latest information as soon as it becomes available.
Being based on the new Renault 5, it’s likely that the Micra will be structurally very similar to the Renault. However, we don’t yet know which accident-avoidance systems will be fitted as standard. Check back for all the latest information once we have final UK specifications.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
We don’t expect the Nissan Micra to undergo Green NCAP emissions testing until 2026 at the earliest.
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 Micra is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Nissan Micra is an upcoming model, so we won’t have any meaningful reliability data for years to come.
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 Micra, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
No data yet
As soon as we have verified running cost information for the Nissan Micra from our technical partner, Clear Vehicle Data, we’ll publish the information here.
The small electric car market is growing rapidly after a slow start. By the time the Nissan Micra EV arrives, there could be even more new models available. Keep checking back for the latest information.
Toyota has revealed two new models overnight – the all-new version of the long-running Toyota RAV4 family SUV, plus the Toyota bZ4X Touring EV, which is a more rugged version of the company’s existing bZ4X electric crossover.
Both new models were publicly displayed at a launch event in Brussels overnight, although we won’t see either of them in the UK until early 2026.
All-new Toyota RAV4
2026 Toyota RAV4
The new Toyota RAV4 is the sixth generation of a model that dates all the way back to the 1990s, and was one of the global pioneers of the modern road-going SUV style of family car. Like the outgoing model, the new version will be available with both regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid power, with both front- and all-wheel drive on offer.
The plug-in hybrid’s battery is now larger at 23kWh, extending the all-electric driving range 40 to 62 miles, while both models get a more compact hybrid motor unit to free up more interior space.
2026 Toyota RAV4
Power outputs range from 135kW (183hp) for the entry-level front-wheel drive version up to a maximum of 224kW (304hp) in the top-spec all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid model.
Charging options for the RAV4 plug-in hybrid have also been improved – the latest onboard 11kW AC charger allows a full recharge using a home wallbox in three hours, while the vehicle is also able to take advantage of rapid charging at public chargers with a speed of up to 50kW, producing a 10%-80% charge in half an hour.
New Toyota bZ4X Touring
Toyota bZ4X Touring
The bZ4X Touring is being pitched as a larger and more rugged version of the standard bZ4X, which has been on sale for more than two years now. It very much taps into the style of the Subaru Outback, a rugged estate that can comfortably handle both on-road and off-road duties without the bulk of a normal SUV.
It’s some 14cm longer than the standard model to increase boot space by a third, up to 600 litres, over the regular model. It also gains a couple of centimetres in height thanks to the roof rails.
As with the regular bZ4X, buyers will be able to choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, but the bZ4X Touring gets a larger and more efficient battery pack. Now 75kWh, up from 71kWh, this should bring the official driving range up to almost 350 miles. Exact numbers will depend on final UK specifications, to be announced later this year.
The front-wheel drive model’s motor produces 165 kW (224hp) while the all-wheel drive version offers dual motors – one at the front and one at the back – and a total output of 280 kW (380hp), making it the most powerful Toyota electric vehicle yet. Toyota is also emphasising the AWD model’s towing capacity of 1,500kg.
The bZ4X Touring will come fitted with either an 11kW or 22kW onboard charger, depending on which trim the buyer chooses. All models will also offer fast-charging capability of up to 150kW at compatible public charging points, allowing a 10% to 80% recharge of 30 minutes.
UK specification and pricing for the bZ4X Touring and RAV4 are still to be announced. We expect this information to arrive later this year before both cars go on sale early in 2026.
Mercedes-Benz has announced the UK price list and specifications for its third-generation CLA saloon range which is now available to order in the UK.
While the new CLA line-up is set to include both petrol-electric hybrid and electric powertrain options – a first for the CLA range – Mercedes-Benz has decided to launch the electric version first, with the hybrid following later this year.
This 272hp battery-powered CLA – technically called the ‘CLA 250+ with EQ Technology’ – is powered by an 85kWh battery, which is smaller than the 118kWh unit in the EQS 450+, but can reportedly travel three miles more on a single charge than the larger luxury saloon, mustering up to 484 miles on a single charge.
Mercedes-Benz adds that the electric saloon can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 6.7 seconds, with top speed capped at 130mph. Built on the brand’s 800V architecture, the car can charge at speeds up to 320kW, and at that rapid charging speed the manufacturer claims that 200 miles of range can be added in ten minutes.
A hybrid version which pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 27hp electric motor is also on the way, scheduled to arrive later this year. More details are sure to follow in the coming months.
Compared with the previous CLA range – which was available as a petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid car – the third-generation range is slightly larger by every metric which should increase cabin space. The boot has enough space for 455 litres of luggage room – 55 litres less than its predecessor – but electric versions also come with an additional 101 litres of ‘frunk’ space under the bonnet.
The electric range distinguishes itself from hybrid models at first glance thanks to its unique grille design with 142 backlit star shapes. The new CLA also has an LED daytime running list strip that connects the LED headlights below the bonnet – a feature now synonymous with the brand’s battery-powered EQ models.
Inside, the car comes with a ten-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard. The brand’s ‘Superscreen’ which adds an optional 14-inch passenger media display will be added to the options list after launch. The CLA sits on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, with the entry-level ‘Sport’ equipment list also including heated front seats, adaptive LED headlights and automatic climate control.
The more expensive ‘AMG Line Edition’ comes with sportier exterior styling, keyless start and entry, Nappa leather upholstery, ambient interior lighting, a wireless smartphone charging pad and the model sits on larger 19-inch alloy wheels.
Now on sale, the electric CLA ‘250+’ is priced at under £46k for the ‘Sport’ trim, with prices rising to around £52k for the AMG Line Edition’.
Audi has brought back an entry-level version to its e-tron GT saloon line-up, after it was removed from the range as part of last year’s facelift.
The base-spec e-tron GT quattro can call on up to 584hp, compared to 680hp for the next model up in the range, the S, and 856hp in the RS model. It will also cover up to 384 miles in official lab tests.
The new entry-level Audi e-tron GT starts at £88.5K and will be available to order in the UK from late June. First customer deliveries are due to begin arriving in the UK in August.
The returning entry-level Audi e-tron GT model rounds off the family after last year’s mid-life update, which now also comprises the S, RS and RS performance models.
By default, the Audi e-tron GT has a power output of 503hp, although this increases to 584hp when activating launch control mode. With a battery capacity of 105kW and a range of up to 384 miles, long-distance touring is a genuine possibility. This is helped by a charging capacity of up to 320kW if you can find a sufficiently powerful charger, which means you can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. To put it another way, you can potentially add 177 miles of range in a quick ten-minute stop, which is more than enough for almost all needs.
The Audi e-tron GT is closely related to the Porsche Taycan saloon, although Audi doesn’t offer an estate version like Porsche does. The e-tron GT range currently holds an overall B grade on The Car Expert’s award-winning Expert Rating Index. It gets excellent reviews from the UK motoring media (although not as good as the Porsche), but is an unsurprisingly expensive car to live with.
Two new versions of the Volkswagen T-Roc are being launched this week with a raft of additional features, including new 19-inch alloys and upgraded headlights.
The new trim levels are the Style Design and Black Edition Plus, which replace the previous Style and Black Edition trims in the T-Roc line-up. As the names suggest, these are evolutions of the previous models with a bit more standard kit.
The Volkswagen T-Roc has been around for more than seven years, so it’s well into the time where a car manufacturer will start throwing in extra kit to keep sales ticking along against newer rivals, and this is no different. The Black Edition Plus adds a claimed £3K worth of additional kit for the same price as the previous Black Edition, while the Style Design costs £1K more than the outgoing Style version but with more than £5K worth of additional spec.
Both versions gain improved standard specifications over their outgoing counterparts, including 19-inch alloy wheels, an electric tailgate, rear-view camera, keyless access, a panoramic sunroof and metallic paint with a black roof.
The Style Design also comes with black door mirrors to match the roof, as well as matrix LED headlights. These have a high-beam setting that react automatically to oncoming traffic and road conditions, dimming specific areas of road to prevent blinding oncoming drivers while keeping other areas fully lit to maximise night-time visibility.
If you added all of the Style Design’s additional features to the previous Style, it would cost an extra £5.5K according to Volkswagen. But the upgraded model is priced just £1,000 more at just over £33K.
Likewise, the additional features on the Black Edition Plus are theoretically worth an extra £3,225 over the previous Black Edition, but come at no extra cost to keep the price at £36.5K.
The Volkswagen T-Roc has been on sale in the UK since late 2017, although it has had various updates throughout its life. It’s still a well-regarded model, scoring an overall B grade in The Car Expert’s unique Expert Rating Index.
Both special edition models can both be ordered from Volkswagen dealers from this week.
Make and model: Alfa Romeo Elettrica Speciale Description: Small-medium electric SUV Price range: from £35,705
Alfa Romeo says: “The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica elevates your driving experience with superior driving dynamics, great agility and lightness on the road.”
We say: The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is a small electric SUV with stylish looks. It’s easy to drive and offers decent battery range for most needs.
Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Speciale review – The Car Expert
This is the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica, Alfa’s first EV. If you don’t want an electric model, there’s also a Junior Ibrida (hybrid), which is powered by a combination of a petrol engine and electric motor. That one arrives in the UK shortly.
The Junior is the latest car to be hailed as the starting point for a new Alfa Romeo revival since… er, well, every Alfa Romeo model of the last 20-odd years. It has become a familiar refrain from the company, usually following the disappointing results of the previous Alfa Romeo revival.
The new model pitches Alfa into one of the most competitive segments of the new car market – small electric SUVs are currently popping up at showrooms everywhere. On one hand, that puts Alfa into a segment that’s enjoying huge amounts of interest; on the other hand, it means a lot of competition for the Junior – the car has to be good to thrive in this sector.
We spent a week with an Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Speciale to find out just how good it is.
Alfa Romeo is part of the giant Stellantis company, which owns more than a dozen car brands around the globe. As such, the Alfa Romeo Junior uses the shared small SUV underpinnings from Stellantis, making the Junior Elettrica a close relative to the Abarth 600e and Fiat 600e, DS 3 E-Tense, Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and upcoming Citroën ë-C3 Aircross – while the Junior Ibrida is related to the petrol versions of the above models. Thankfully, Alfa’s designers have managed to retain some of the company’s traditional styling cues on a small SUV, such as the heart-shaped grille and telephone dial-shaped alloy wheels (for younger readers, telephones were once large things fixed to one position and had a large central dial for ringing up another phone…)
With both petrol and electric versions of the Alfa Romeo Junior available, the Elettrica model doesn’t really get the usual packaging benefits of a dedicated EV, which usually have a bit more space in the rear cabin and boot.
What do you get for your money?
There are currently four models in the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica line-up – three with a lower power output and a range-topping version with significantly more performance.
The range kicks off at £34K with the entry-level Elettrica, followed by the Elettrica Speciale at just under £36K and a special-edition model called the Intensa at £39K. All of these models have the same electric motor, producing 115kw (156hp) of power through the front wheels. The top-spec Veloce model starts at just over £42K and bumps the power up to 207kW (280hp), still going through the front wheels.
All versions are supplied by a 54kWh battery that gives an official range of 255-ish miles for the lower-power versions, dropping to 200 miles for the Veloce. As with most EVs, your mileage will vary depending on how and where you drive – city driving gives better range, while motorway driving decreases it.
As is generally the way on most new cars, you get a large (ten-inch) central touchscreen for controlling most of the car’s functions, paired with another ten-inch screen in front of the driver for speed and driving information. The base and Intensa models don’t offer integrated satnav, but most people are likely to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto anyway so it’s not a big deal.
All the key safety kit is standard on all models, although Speciale and Veloce models get a few upgraded extras like traffic jam assist and lane guidance for the adaptive cruise control. Speciale gets part faux leather upholstery, while the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable and even includes a massage function.
As well as significantly more power, the Veloce model gets additional kit over the lower-spec models. The alloy wheels are bumped up to 20-inch designs, rather than the 18-inch versions on the lower-spec models. It also gets mechanical upgrades to brakes and suspension, revised steering and a limited-slip differential for better handling and an improved driving experience overall. There are also some visual differences like a black roof, dark-tinted rear windows, revised bumpers with sportier styling, and a few other cosmetic bits.
Expert tips
Intensa is a new special-edition model that gets some distinctive trim bits
Veloce has significantly more performance, but that reduces the battery range
No Euro NCAP safety rating as yet (May 2025)
What’s the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica like inside?
Stepping inside the cabin, the Alfa Romeo Junior mixes traditional Alfa styling cues with a modern – if conventional – layout. The driver’s instrument cluster has a shade that resembles Alfa’s traditional twin-dial layout but, in reality, it simply covers a letterbox-shaped digital screen for speed, range and other readouts.
The central touchscreen is slightly angled towards the driver, but the rest of the dashboard around it isn’t, so it sort of sticks out in a way that looks odd. Some of the plastics look a bit cheap and hard, rather than soft and squishy. And on top of that, most of the switchgear is also shared with a multitude of Stellantis products – including a Vauxhall Combo van – which rather detracts from any pretence of a premium experience.
The good news is that, unlike plenty of Alfas of old, the Junior’s cabin feels solid and very well screwed together. It’s also welcome to have a proper row of real buttons for the climate control, and there’s a nice touch in having little illuminated serpents (the legendary Biscione of Milano) in the centre of the air vents.
As you’d expect for a car this size, the front seats have adequate room for even tall adults, but it’s quite tight in the back. Two adults will cope for shorter journeys, but really it’s more suited to kids. Unlike dedicated EVs, there’s a hefty tunnel running down the centre line of the floor, so the middle passenger in the rear will have to straddle that. Headroom, however, is better than expected.
Boot space is on par with most rivals in this class, with a claimed 400 litres. It’s a fairly regular shape, so generally quite useful although the loading lip is quite high for loading heavy cases. There’s a small frunk under the bonnet, which is likely to be where you keep your charging cables when not in use.
Expert tips
Base model doesn’t get dedicated satnav, but all have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can use your own maps.
Tight for legroom in the back, and you probably don’t want to be using the centre seat for longer journeys.
It’s a bit of a letdown inside, overall.
What’s the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica like to drive?
As a legendary driver’s brand, Alfa Romeo has always placed a lot of weight on the driving experience in its cars. Does the Junior Elettrica live up to the standards of many petrol-powered sporty saloons and coupés from over the years?
Well, not really. But then, you probably wouldn’t expect it to. After all, it’s an electric SUV that shares its basic architecture with assorted Peugeots, Citroëns and Vauxhalls. So, Alfa fans, lower your expectations.
The standard 115kW (156hp) motor in the Junior Elettrica Speciale provides plenty of performance for most of your day-to-day driving needs. Acceleration from rest, and in the cut-and-thrust of urban driving, is good even with passenger and luggage on board. As with most EVs, you notice a drop-off in acceleration at motorway speeds as the car reaches the top of its operating window (EVs generally have a lower top speed than petrol cars, although still comfortably beyond the 70mph national speed limit).
Alfa Romeo has tweaked the steering and handling of the Junior compared to the other Stellantis models, which does help it to feel more agile and nimble to drive. It also feels quite stable, with less roll than other SUVs. Pleasingly, the engineers have managed to maintain a decent ride comfort, which isn’t always the case when you try to sharpen the handling.
Expert tips
Good balance of ride comfort and sharp handling
115kW motor fine for most needs, but 207kW notably better if you want extra performance
Despite sporting pretensions, it’s certainly not a sports car
How safe is the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica?
As of May 2025, the Alfa Romeo Junior has not been assessed by Euro NCAP so we can’t give you a definitive answer of how safe it is (Euro NCAP testing assesses new cars over and above minimum legal safety requirements). If and when this testing takes place, we’ll update the information and safety score here.
The Junior Elettrica is kitted out with plenty of latest-generation ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) kit, and they mostly work well enough – although we thankfully didn’t need to test them in genuine emergency conditions. Stellantis still has significant issues with its speed limit sign recognition, as the system picks up the wrong signs and ignores the right signs on far too many occasions. This affects every Stellantis car (and van) we’ve driven, so the company clearly hasn’t got a handle on making it work well enough.
As with all new cars, you still need to deactivate certain systems – speed limit warnings and so on – every time you start the car if you don’t want to be beeped and bonged at for your entire journey, but this is no more annoying or difficult to do than in any other car.
Expert tips
No Euro NCAP safety rating as of May 2025
Speed limit recognition camera is rubbish (as on most Stellantis products)
Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica economy, battery range and charging
There’s only one battery available to cover the entire Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica line-up at this time, which is a 54kWh unit that gives an official UK/EU lab-tested driving range of about 250-ish miles with the 115kW motor (a few more miles in the base model, a few less in the Intensa and Speciale), and a range of about 200 miles in the much-more-powerful Veloce.
Knock 20% off both numbers (so about 200 miles and 160 miles, respectively) for cold conditions or harder driving, but if you’re happy to be gentle with your right foot and spend most of your time in urban areas, you should get close to these numbers.
Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of fuel economy in a petrol or diesel car) is very good, rating an A-grade according to our unique Expert Rating Index. A heat pump is standard on all models, which helps battery range in very cold conditions. Many other small electric SUVs don’t have this as standard, so this is excellent news.
At public chargers, the Junior Elettrica can accept a maximum charging speed of 100kW, which is about average for the sector. Assuming you are plugged into a 100kW charger, that means that you can get a charge from 10% to 80% in a bit over half an hour. If you’re charging at home with a 7kW wallbox, a full charge from 0-100% will take a bit over eight hours.
The charging port is in the left-rear corner of the car, so you’ll want to reverse into charging bays rather than driving in forwards. If you’re charging at home, the Junior is short enough that your cable will probably reach the charging plug regardless of which way round you park.
Expert tips
Official battery range of 200-258 miles, depending on specification. Around town, this is probably achievable but motorway driving will reduce this significantly.
Driving range should be plenty for its intended customer base (average household mileage in the UK is about 120 miles/week).
Heat pump is standard, which helps maintain driving range in very cold conditions
The charging port is in the left-rear of the car, which means reverse parking in most charging bays will be better.
Comes standard with the usual Type-2-to-Type-2 charging cable for plugging into a dedicated charging unit, but not a Type-2-to-Type-3 cable for plugging into a standard three-point electricity plug.
Verdict
There are a couple of questions here. Firstly, is the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica a good small SUV? And secondly, is it a good Alfa Romeo?
To the first, the answer is yes. The Junior Elettrica is certainly as good as most other small electric SUVs for the job of ferrying passengers around, especially if your needs favour local driving rather than frequent long journeys. It’s nicer to drive than many similar EVs, it’s pretty comfortable in most driving situations, the styling generally hits the mark and the standard equipment levels are on the money. On the flip side, cabin space and overall practicality are compromised compared to a purpose-built EV like the Kia EV3.
But is it a good Alfa Romeo? Well, that depends on your preconceptions of what an Alfa Romeo ‘should’ be. It’s not a sports saloon or coupé, which is all that many traditional Alfa fans are interested in, but then that’s pretty much a dying market for all manufacturers. The reality is that customers don’t want those sorts of cars, so Alfa can either get on board the bandwagon or get run over by it. Porsche, Lotus and other sports car manufacturers have already made that choice, so it’s not exactly shocking for Alfa to do the same. And if you do accept that, you can’t then complain that an electric SUV doesn’t look or handle like a petrol-engined sports car.
Expert recommendations
If you’re happy to trade a modicum of practicality for a dash of style, the Junior could suit you perfectly
Can’t confirm safety performance until Euro NCAP conducts its tests
Speciale trim level looks best value of the three 115kW versions
Abarth is a name that will be unfamiliar to many a motorist, being one of the smallest brands on today’s market – only just over 1,000 Abarth-badged cars hit UK roads in 2024.
In fact, the Italian brand has never produced its own cars – it has a history based mainly on competition success, concentrating on both extracting more performance from cars of other brands – predominantly Fiat, occasionally Lancia – and manufacturing aftermarket tune-up parts, such as exhausts.
After many years of making Fiats go faster, Abarth was eventually taken over by Fiat and recast as a performance sub-brand, much the relationship between AMG and Mercedes-Benz.
Abarth cars today are little more than muscled-up Fiats, but they tend to be more highly regarded, and this reputation has survived the removal of the usual major element of a performance brand – the engine – as Abarth joins the rest of the car industry in moving into the electric car.
So who or what is Abarth?
Abarth is named after its founder, Carlo Abarth, who established his company in 1949 using the assets of a failed and short-lived Italian car brand called Cisitalia. Abarth adopted a scorpion for the company logo because his star sign was Scorpio.
Abarth’s first cars were based on a Cistalia model and were raced by various top Italian drivers. From the beginning, however, the company also produced performance accessories for cars from other brands, especially Fiats. These tuning kits and performance exhausts proved to be a lucrative business for Abarth.
The effectiveness of Abarth’s upgrades led to a direct relationship with Fiat, with Abarth earning money every time an Abarth-modified Fiat found racing success. By 1971, Carlo Abarth sold the business to Fiat altogether, which sold off the racing business and directed Abarth to running rally cars for Fiat.
Within a decade, Fiat had reorganised its motorsport activities and, for the next 25 years, the Abarth name existed only as a badge on the most powerful Fiat cars.
Fiat 500Abarth 595
The story came full circle in 2007 when Fiat relaunched Abarth as a separate company, effectively reviving part of its predecessor’s DNA by producing bespoke performance versions of existing Fiat models.
These included Abarth performance versions of cars like the Grande Punto small hatch and 124 Spider (Fiat’s short-lived version of the current Mazda MX-5). But Abarth is today best-known for its hot hatch variants of the Fiat 500 city car, which have continued into the electric era with the 500e.
What models does Abarth have today and what else is coming?
The current Abarth range focuses on just two models, the 500e and 600e, both based on Fiat models of the same name.
The Abarth 500e is derived directly from the Fiat 500e and when it went on sale in summer 2023 was the first performance-pitched city car powered by an electric motor. Significantly quicker than the Fiat 500e models, it also gains the typical hot hatch upgrades of larger wheels, performance-tuned suspension and a more sporty look.
The range and ability of the Abarth 500e helps secure it an A mark in the Expert Rating index compiled by The Car Expert – despite the car also gaining a more controversial addition, a sound generator to make it sound like a performance car with a petrol engine. This has been criticised by some as being too loud and intrusive.
The 500e can also be had as a cabriolet, which is simply a 500e hatchback with a roll-back canvas roof rather than a properly folding soft top.
The newly launched Abarth 600e is a crossover based on, you guessed it the Fiat 600e. But it also shares much of its hardware with several other Stellantis models like the Jeep Avenger, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Alfa Romeo Junior. Again, the recipe is a combination of more aggressive visuals and more power – 240hp in the standard 600e Turismo and 280hp in the 600e Scorpionissima, a limited-edition launch model.
The Abarth 595 and Abarth 695 versions of the long-lived Fiat 500 hatchback have now finally bitten the dust, with the last models removed from sale in 2024.
What’s coming next from Abarth is yet to be confirmed. What we do know is that future models will be electric, the brand’s European boss quoted as saying Abarth will not launch any further petrol or even hybrid cars. Forthcoming models will also continue to be based on Fiat product – Abarth has never made its own road cars and apparently has no plans to follow the lead of Renault’s Alpine brand with bespoke models.
Where can I try an Abarth car?
With Abarth so closely related to Fiat, it’s pretty likely that where you find a Fiat dealer, you will also find the cars of its performance-focused stablemate. In total there are 78 Abarth outlets in the UK network and they are well spread across the country – the website includes a locator to find your nearest.
What makes Abarth different to the rest?
The scorpion in the Abarth logo may have been chosen for astrological reasons but came to represent Carlo Abarth’s view of what cars should be. Abarths are typically powerful but equally renowned for being small and agile cars.
An Abarth fact to impress your friends
Carlo Abarth was always out to prove just how competitive his modified Fiat vehicles could be. As a young motorcyclist, he raced and beat the famed Orient Express train from Vienna to Ostend, a distance of more than 850 miles.
In the 1950s, Carlo set numerous acceleration records – including in an Abarth racing car that had a cockpit so small that he had to shed 30kg from his weight to get in it. He did this by eating nothing but apples for several days.
Summary
Abarth is very much a niche name, but one which parent company Fiat appears very protective of – those that like Fiat’s most popular car, but want a much more exclusive version, along with one with rather more potency, buy an Abarth.
You may not have heard of Omoda, which is not surprising. It’s a new car company from China that arrived here in the UK in 2024.
Omoda is the first car brand from Chinese giant Chery to launch here in the UK, arriving last summer and followed earlier this year by sister brand Jaecoo. The two brands are working in tandem, targeting different customers but building a joint dealer network across the country.
The company describes Omoda as being a ‘fashion forward’ brand that competes with other mainstream names, while Jaecoo is positioned as a more premium offering. As of right now (May 2025), each brand only has one SUV-style model available, so this strategy may not yet be evident. It should become more clearly defined, however, as more models join the two line-ups later this year.
So who or what is Omoda?
If you follow the car industry, you may have heard of Omoda’s parent company, Chery, which is a state-owned car manufacturer that has been around for about 30 years and has been China’s largest car exporter for most of that time. As with China’s other big car companies, it operates a number of subsidiary brands in different markets around the world – as well as Omoda and Jaecoo, it has Aiqar, Exeed, Exlantix, iCar, Jetour, Lepas, Luxeed and Rely, as well as Chery itself.
Omoda doesn’t exist in China itself, being purely an export brand. The same cars offered here are sold under different brand names in their home market. It’s not the first time a major car company has done this – Japanese giant Toyota launched its Lexus luxury brand in the late 1980s, but didn’t start selling Lexus-branded cars in Japan until the mid-2000s. Honda launched its American-focused premium brand, Acura, at about the same time but still doesn’t sell Acura in Japan today.
Omoda has only existed for about two years, but is being steadily introduced to a number of markets across Europe and Africa, and in Mexico. The brand is also sold in Russia, which is obviously controversial as most Western car brands have withdrawn from the country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Like most emerging names in the Chinese car industry, Omoda is heavily invested in electric vehicle technology. But unlike many of the other Chinese brands arriving in the UK, Omoda will continue to launch petrol and hybrid models over the coming years.
When did Omoda launch in the UK?
Omoda & Jaecoo UK set up shop in early 2024, building up its dealer and aftersales network before launching the Omoda brand with its first cars in the autumn of 2024. There’s already a pipeline of new models lined up for the next 12 months.
Sister brand Jaecoo followed at the start of 2025, and the company is rapidly expanding its sales network across the UK, targeting more than 120 dealerships by the end of this year.
What models does Omoda have and what else is coming?
Omoda launched in the UK with a pair of mid-size SUV models called the Omoda 5 (petrol) and Omoda E5 (electric). The Omoda 5 is called the Omoda C5 in some markets, but we assume that Citroën had something to say about that for Europe since it uses the C5 name already.
The Omoda 5 is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and there’s apparently a hybrid model set to join the range by the end of 2025.
The Omoda 5 EV is (as you can probably guess) an electric version of the same vehicle. It has a different front-end design since it doesn’t need a grille to suck cool air into a petrol engine, but from the front wheels back it looks the same. Inside, the E5 gets a sleeker cabin than the petrol version, with a larger central touchscreen and other improvements.
Over the second half of 2025, things will get busy for Omoda with two new models joining the line-up. The first model, launching in summer, will be the Omoda 9, a large plug-in hybrid SUV that will compete with cars like the Volkswagen Tayron, Vauxhall Grandland, Peugeot 5008 and so on.
Later in the year, we’ll see the Omoda 7. As you can probably guess, this will sit between the Omoda 5 and Omoda 9 on size and price, and will also be available as a plug-in hybrid. It will go into a very competitive market against cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan, Peugeot 3008, Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and many, many more. We have had an exclusive drive of this vehicle in a two-day trek across China last month, and if Omoda can get the pricing right then it should be very successful here in the UK.
By next year, we should also see the smaller Omoda 3, yet another SUV, and there’s also an update for the Omoda 5 pencilled in as well, which will bring it more closely into line with its E5 electric sibling. At this stage, we don’t have any indication of any models coming to the UK that are not SUVs, but that could change depending on demand.
Omoda 9Omoda 7
Where can I try an Omoda car?
Since setting up shop in the UK in early 2024, Omoda and Jaecoo have established 72 dealerships across the UK, thanks to agreements with large motoring groups like Arnold Clark, Listers and Endeavour. Chery has further expansion plans, and intends to expand its Omoda-Jaecoo dealership network to 130 different outlets by the end of this year. That will make it one of the larger dealer networks in the UK.
The company has key finance partnerships in place with established lenders, with BNP Paribas providing consumer finance and Arval UK providing leasing solutions.
The brand has no plans to offer direct online sales at this time, with the company aiming to grow its two brands through its dealer network and fleet programmes.
What’s particularly significant about Omoda?
Unlike the rest of the new wave of Chinese car manufacturers heading to Europe, Omoda plans to offer petrol and plug-in hybrid models alongside the inevitable electric vehicles.
As with Jaecoo, Omoda has a wide range of potential vehicles it can pull from the wider Chery family, so it can react quickly to UK demand for models of any size, shape or fuel type. Initially, the line-up will all be SUVs, but that could change over time.
Jaecoo models come with a seven-year/100,000-mile new car warranty, which is one of the best in the industry.
What’s in a name?
The name Omoda doesn’t come from the company’s founder, or some piece of ancient Chinese wisdom, or anything remotely meaningful. The reality is a bit more formulaic.
It’s a portmanteau of O – the chemical symbol for oxygen – and the Italian word moda, meaning ‘fashion’. The company has adopted a similar process for Jaecoo, whose name comes from a combination of the German word Jaeger, meaning ‘hunter’, and the English word cool. So “Jaecoo” is supposed to mean “a cool hunter”.
It’s another lesson the Chinese car manufacturers seem to have learned from the Japanese – Lexus, Acura, Infiniti and Eunos were all made-up names for fledgling export-oriented car brands that were supposed to sound important and meaningful in English…
Omoda doesn’t have a logo as such, simply a wordmark with the brand name proudly set in capital letters across the bonnet and tailgate of each car.
Summary
It’s easy to dismiss Omoda as yet another Chinese car company with big plans for the UK, and there have been quite a few in recent years. But there’s good reason to think that Omoda and Jaecoo are two brands that will last.
Chery is one of China’s largest car companies, building more than 2.6 million cars last year. By comparison, the entire UK car industry built less than a third of that number…
The company has already made a significant investment to build its two brands across Europe, with at least one more brand likely to be joining Omoda and Jaecoo next year. It has a choice of cars from the wider Chery family that it can choose to bring to the UK with either of its brands to react to market trends, and has built a network of more than 70 dealers already.
The company has big plans for growth in the UK, so as the Omoda model range fills out over the next year, you’re likely to see a lot more of them around.
This article was originally published in late 2023, and was updated in May 2025 to reflect Omoda’s rapid growth.
The BYD Sealion is a mid-large electric SUV that sits at the top of the ever-expanding BYD family. It was unveiled in 2024 before arriving in the UK in early 2025.
The Sealion 7 is related to the BYD Seal saloon, although it uses a more advanced version of the Seal’s platform, including more advanced electric motor and drive technologies for better performance and efficiency.
Initial media reviews for the BYD Sealion 7 have been disappointing. Despite praise for its spacious cabin and decent levels of kit for the money, several reviewers have pointed out that the Sealion 7 is more expensive and not as good to drive as a Tesla Model Y.
The ride and handling of the Sealion 7 have also been questioned by several reviewers, with Darren Cassey from Carwow describing it as “not very comfortable” and Dean Gibson from Auto Express pointing out that it “doesn’t drive as sweetly” as some alternatives.
On the positive side, it has an excellent safety rating according to testing by Euro NCAP, scoring a full five stars when testing in April 2025.
As of June 2025, the BYD Sealion 7 holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 70%. It scores top marks for its excellent safety rating and zero tailpipe emissions, but its running costs are only average and its media review scores have been poor.
“The BYD Sealion 7 is a Chinese, electric family SUV that’s strong on space and kit, but doesn’t drive as sweetly as some in this competitive segment.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “BYD’s large electric SUV promises advanced technology, sporty performance and premium comfort, but doesn’t quite deliver in all areas.” Author: Catherine King Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The BYD Sealion 7 goes big on interior space and kit – although it’s not such a polished package as the Seal.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “The Sealion 7, slightly odd name aside, is well equipped, has decent range and performance, and is comfortable and quiet. A bit more polish in some areas would elevate it even higher, but as it stands the BYD Sealion 7 is well worth consideration.” Author: Kyle Fortune, Seth Walton Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7.4 / 10 “The BYD Sealion 7 is a fairly upmarket electric SUV with a spacious interior and lots of tech, but it needs some fine polishing.” Author: Andy Goodwin, Jordan Katsianis Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “BYD’s large family SUV is a rival to the Tesla Model Y, and with value, comfort and interior quality on its side, it could steal sales from its American nemesis.” Author: Ginny Buckley Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Excellence AWD Score: 9 / 10 “The BYD Sealion 7 offers an excellent driving experience, with comfortable ride quality, together with impressive performance and reassuring levels of grip in Excellence AWD trim. The interior is spacious, it feels genuinely premium and features the latest technology.” Author: Paul Clarke Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “While the BYD Sealion 7 is able to compete with similarly priced but more established rivals, its sub-par ride and handling, plus some tech-related annoyances, mean it can’t be heartily recommended over better-known alternatives. And don’t get us started on the name…” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Solid electric SUV will have a hard job toppling the class leaders.” Author: Piers Ward, Seth Walton Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “So much for these Chinese brands undercutting rivals – the new BYD Sealion 7 is more expensive than its big rival, the new Tesla Model Y. It also doesn’t go as far on a single charge. So being more expensive and with a smaller range immediately count against the BYD, and then you drive it, which might put you off even more.” Author: Steve Fowler Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Functional, fast, but somewhat forgettable.” Author: Dave Humphreys Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 4 / 10 “Despite significant improvements on earlier Chinese BYD models, the BYD Sealion 7 is in danger of becoming just another battery-powered family SUV.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The BYD Sealion 7 is big, roomy and well-equipped for the price. But even though it’s quick, it’s not as much fun as some rivals.” Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
The BYD Sealion 7 scored top marks in its Euro NCAP safety assessment in 2025, with excellent results in every category.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of May 2025, the BYD Sealion 7 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 Sealion 7 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
No data yet
As of May 2025, we don’t have independently verified data available for the BYD Sealion 7. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The BYD Sealion 7 is still a very new car, we don’t have enough data 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 Sealion 7, we’ll publish the results here.
As of May 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the BYD Sealion 7. 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 BYD dealer.
The ranks of mid-to-large electric SUVs are swelling by the week, with almost every major brand offering at least one vehicle that could rival the BYD Sealion 7 on price and/or specification. It’s a hugely competitive market out there, so keep an eye on our Expert Rating scores and new car offers from the leading brands to make the best decision for your needs.
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In the 5th century BC, the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote in his famous book The Art of War: “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” In the 21st century AD, the Chinese car industry is proving him correct all over again.
In America, Donald Trump is throwing his toys out of the pram with massive tariffs against China in an attempt to turn the clock back 40 years to when America ruled the roost. In Europe, the EU has also been adding tariffs onto Chinese EVs in an attempt to protect its local car manufacturers. But it’s all a bit late; the war is already over.
Western car manufacturers have spent the last couple of decades trying to exploit China for their own financial gains, but what they were actually doing was helping China develop its car industry to become the world’s largest. And now it’s threatening to squeeze them out of existence.
Having spent a week in China last month – visiting the enormous Shanghai motor show, covering 500 miles in a plug-in hybrid fuel economy marathon on Chinese roads and visiting a state-of-the-art factory that builds cars for Omoda and Jaecoo (and various other brands that are not sold in the UK) – it was enlightening to see, in person, how advanced the Chinese automotive industry has become.
Auto Shanghai 2025Omoda 7 fuel economy marathon 2025
We’re living in the past
Many people still see China as a looming threat to the future of the Western car industry, which was certainly true – about 25 years ago.
Back in 2000, the USA was the world’s largest automotive manufacturer, building about 12 million motor vehicles (cars, vans, buses, trucks, etc.). Europe produced a similar number, although that was a combined figure from a couple of dozen countries. Japan was also similar, with about 10 million vehicles. China built about 2 million vehicles, having recently overtaken the UK, and was about the ninth-biggest country by volume.
By about 2008/09, China had overtaken the USA and Japan to become the world’s largest vehicle-producing country, and has accelerated away every year since.
Last year, China built 31 million vehicles. America and Japan both built fewer cars than they did 25 years ago, while Europe was about the same. Global production was about 93 million vehicles, so China built one in every three vehicles worldwide.
China’s automotive industry now dwarfs the rest of the world’s. In addition to building a third of the world’s vehicles, it provides countless key components for the other two-thirds built elsewhere. Its growth over the last two decades has been astonishing and far beyond anything that the automotive industry has ever seen.
Even if Donald Trump’s tariff tantrum succeeds in returning automotive production to America’s highest-ever levels, that’s about 13 million vehicles a year (which it achieved in 1999). That would be 30% better than it was last year, but it would barely dent China, which exports very few cars to the USA anyway. The real victims of any resurgence in American car manufacturing would be Canada and Mexico.
The EV revolution is strengthening China’s position
The shift from traditional, fossil-fuel-powered cars to electric cars is so enormous that it’s more accurate to think of the EV industry as ‘Car Industry 2.0’. It involves rethinking almost every aspect of how cars are designed and built by manufacturers, how they are bought and used by customers, and how they are managed and taxed by governments.
There’s a narrative in certain circles that China’s strength is all about EVs, and that if we wind back EV targets and Net Zero ambitions, it will destroy that advantage. China was a long way ahead of the West in recognising that the era of petrol and diesel was coming to an end, with EVs the only viable replacement.
It’s true that China has carefully prepared its industry for the transition to EV power and has worked assiduously to gain dominance over the entire supply chain, from raw minerals to finished product, in a way that no-one has ever done in the fossil-fuel sector. Chinese car companies are also investing in EV development at a level that far outstrips similar investments from anyone else, and have been doing so for several years now.
But the idea that pushing back against EVs will stop China’s automotive influence in its tracks is no more than wishful thinking.
Of the 30-ish million vehicles China builds each year, about 10 million are EVs. While that’s far more than any other country in the world, it still means that China builds about 20 million fossil-fuel cars each year – which is more than double the next-best country in the world (America). And it has already demonstrated its incredible ability to scale up at speed. So if the world banned EVs tomorrow, China would almost certainly be able to grow its petrol car production faster than anyone else to replace those EVs.
In any case, most Western car companies have now moved past the point of no return in their shift to EVs. They have invested billions of dollars in development and manufacturing, made tens of thousands of people redundant, completely redeveloped their factories to build EVs and wound down most of their development in new petrol models. They urgently need these massive investments to start being repaid through sales of electric models.
It’s no longer all about cheap labour
Much of China’s industrial growth over the last few decades was built on cheaper labour than Western countries, and the car industry was no different. But, as with a lot of the tech sector development, this has evolved significantly and labour is no longer as big a differentiator as it once was.
On our recent trip to China, we visited a Chery Automobile factory to see cars from several different brands (including Omoda and Jaecoo cars bound for the UK) coming together. Strikingly, the first plant involved bare metal sheets being built up into complete body shells for a range of different cars of all shapes and sizes, but there were almost no humans involved in the process.
The entire assembly, from stamping and cutting panels, to glueing and welding the panels together, to the completion of an entire car body, was conducted by machines. The only humans involved were those maintaining the machines and quality inspectors to check over the completed bodies.
Once the cars progressed to final assembly, the process involved a lot more people, with skilled workers installing all the various car components using specially designed tools. But even here, several steps were fully automated and carried out robotically, such as selection and mounting of the wheels and tyres for each car as it passed along the production lines.
Final quality control was done using AI-powered automated cameras on robotic arms, allowing precise analysis of every component in far more detail than possible with a human eye. It’s all incredibly impressive stuff, and far from the continued outside perception of unskilled workers in low-tech factories producing sub-par products.
Dozens of Chinese car brands you’ve never heard of
We can divide Chinese car brands into three groups – the Western car brands that are now Chinese-owned, Chinese brands that export cars to the rest of the world, and Chinese brands that sell exclusively or mostly within China.
Well-known British brands like Lotus and MG are both Chinese-owned, along with LEVC (the former London Taxi Company) and Maxus (formerly LDV). Aston Martin is also partly Chinese-owned. Other European brands like Volvo and Polestar are wholly Chinese-owned, while others like Mercedes-Benz and Smart are partly owned by Chinese companies.
Then we have Chinese brands that now sell cars and vans in markets around the world. Here in the UK, we have BYD, Farizon, GWM (Ora and Haval), Jaecoo, Leapmotor, Omoda, Skywell and Xpeng, while other countries get additional brands that don’t build right-hand drive cars.
And then there’s a whole A-Z of car brands you’ve probably never heard of, like: Aion, Aiqar, Aito, Aiways, Arcfox, AUDI (not Audi, but bizarrely owned by the same company), Avatr, Baojun, Beijing, Bestune, Changan, Chery, Deepal, Denza, DFSK, Doda, Dongfeng, Enranger, Exeed, Fengon, Firefly, Forthing, Foton, GAC, Geely, Hongqi, Hyptec, iCar, IM, JAC, Jetour, Kaicene, Karry, Lepas, Li Auto, Livan, Luxeed, Lynk & Co, Maextro, M-Hero, Nio, Onvo, Qingyuan, Rely, Rising Auto, Roewe, Rox, Sehol, Seres, Stelato, Tank, Trumpchi, VGV, Voyah, Wey, Wuling, Xiaomi, Yangwang, Yiwei and Zeekr. Some of these are planning to come to the UK in the next few years, so you may see them soon.
With Chinese manufacturers on a roll and eyeing up big expansion plans around the world, several Western manufacturers are under enormous pressure. We face the very real possibility of well-known brands either scaling back their line-ups, merging with rivals or even folding altogether in coming years.
Global motor vehicle production may be approaching 100 million vehicles, but many factories at Western car companies are running well under capacity. As the enormous overhead costs of running a factory are spread across fewer vehicles, those vehicles become more expensive to build, which pushes prices up, which hurts sales and reduces factory output further. As car companies in Europe and America try to reduce costs by shedding staff or closing unprofitable plants, unions have been fighting back to protect jobs, leading to strikes and other actions that further harm output and profitability.
Attempts to rein in China’s expanding car industry through tariffs seem unlikely to achieve their goal. At best, they may lead to a modicum of production reverting from China to the West, including some Chinese companies setting up factories in Europe. Superficially, that would seem to help Western companies.
But there’s more to it than just tariffs – European and American car companies have factories all over the world, so it’s not surprising that Chinese companies would want to establish factories close to major international markets. BYD opening factories in Hungary and Turkey, for example, is only going to mean even greater competition for Western car companies.
With dominance in global automotive production, investment levels that dwarf the rest of the world, and a government that co-ordinates every move to eliminate obstacles and ensure successful outcomes, China has become the automotive world’s only real superpower. A dysfunctional America and an increasingly disjointed Europe have been relegated to regional powers.
Western governments are belatedly gearing up for a trade battle with China without realising (or maybe preferring not to acknowledge) that the war is already over. Sun Tzu’s words of wisdom continue to prevail, 2,500 years after they were written.
After a stronger performance in March, the UK new car market fell back into a slump in April. Registrations were down across both private and fleet sectors, with the only bright spot being continued growth for both EVs and plug-in hybrids.
Overall new car registrations fell by 10% compared to last April, according to numbers published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Private sales were down by 8%, while fleet numbers fell by 12%. This was the biggest fall in monthly sales numbers for the year to date – January and February were down slightly, while March was up by 12%. In total year-to-date registrations, the market is still up by 3% on the first four months of last year.
Source: SMMT
EVs and plug-in hybrids lead the way
Despite the usual claims from the SMMT and other lobbyists that the sky would fall once EVs had to start paying more road tax, the data should this not to be the case at all – albeit, we’re only one month into the new road tax rules where EVs have to pay both road tax (£10 in the first year, £175 in subsequent years) plus the Expensive Car Supplement of (£410/year for the first five years) if their list price is more than £40K.
While registrations of petrol and diesel cars fell by 22% and 26%, respectively, the numbers for EVs grew by 18% and plug-in hybrids by 34%. Regular hybrids without the benefit of a plug fell by 3%.
The continued growth in plug-in hybrid numbers is interesting, as it appears to be coming at the expense of basic hybrids and petrol/diesel cars, rather than from potential EV sales. Car companies can use plug-in hybrid registrations as partial credits towards their mandated EV sales targets, so it’s inevitable that those brands that don’t have any (or many) EVs to offer will be pushing plug-in hybrids instead.
What’s also interesting is that there are very few plug-in hybrids that fall below the £40K ‘expensive car’ threshold, which tends to show that the additional road tax burden isn’t all that burdensome, so there’s no great reason to fear it for EVs either.
There is change in the wind for plug-in hybrids, however, with new EU standards coming into effect this year to reassess their overall CO2 emissions. This is likely to see many, if not most, plug-in hybrids reclassified with higher emissions levels that more accurately reflect their real-world fuel usage. That, in turn, will see both road tax and benefit-in-kind tax increasing for many plug-in hybrid vehicles here in the UK, which will presumably blunt sales to a degree.
Source: SMMT
Good month, bad month
Despite an overall market fall of 10%, not every brand saw a sales slide. As always, there was considerable variation in the market.
Star brand of the month was BYD, which grew its registrations by almost 2,200 units over last year – an increase of 654%. Obviously, BYD is a new brand that’s very much on the up and expanding its product range, but it was still an impressive increase given the overall market fell by 10%.
Going in the other direction, the biggest loser for April was Volkswagen, whose registrations fell by almost 2,800 units or 21% on last April’s numbers. However, Volkswagen remained the UK’s best-selling brand for the month, ahead of Kia, BMW, Audi and Ford.
Sportage and Puma continue their sales battle
The Kia Sportage was back on top as the UK’s best-selling new car in April, edging out the Ford Puma and continuing the battle between the two cars that ran all through last year. In year-to-date sales, the Puma retains a lead of nearly 2,000 units after four months thanks to its stellar performance in March.
The Vauxhall Corsa had another strong month to finish in third place, ahead of the British-built Nissan Qashqai. There were three UK-built cars in the top ten this month, with the Nissan Juke placing seventh and the Mini Cooper in tenth. We’ll have our usual breakdown of the top ten in a separate article shortly.
The Lotus Emeya is a large, high-performance electric saloon that launched in 2024. Along with the related Lotus Eletre electric SUV, the Emeya is built in China rather than the traditional Lotus home of Norfolk in the UK.
Together with the Eletre, the Emeya is a bold step into a new world for Lotus, with a large, heavy, electric grand touring saloon being a far cry from its traditional featherweight sports cars. That has been a stumbling block for some of its media reviews to date, but it’s certainly not the first car manufacturer to try to broaden its appeal beyond traditional sports cars – even Ferrari is launching an EV in late 2025.
The Lotus Emeya is available with two levels of performance and a selection of trim levels, topping out at more than 900hp for acceleration that will take you from a standing start to a jail cell in no time at all.
Media reviews of the Lotus have been positive, although acknowledging that the electric supersaloon bar has been set very high by the Porsche Taycan. Nevertheless, reviewers have admired the Emeya’s style and comfort, with plenty of praise for the cabin’s luxury and technology levels. The driving experience has been praised, albeit with concern that the Emeya’s high weight numbs the overall feeling for the driver.
As of May 2025, the Lotus Emeya holds a New Car Rating of B, with a score of 66%. It scores top marks for its zero tailpipe emissions, while its media review scores are also good (although not on a par with the Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT). However, very high running costs drag down its overall score, and we don’t yet have any Euro NCAP data to provide a safety rating.
Body style: Large saloon Engines:electric, all-wheel drive Price:From £84,990 on-road
Launched: Spring 2024 Last updated: Spring 2025 Next update 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
“Forget any preconceptions you might have about it because, in reality, the Lotus Emeya is a seriously good electric sports GT. On the road it’s a match for any Porsche Taycan, and in the showroom it’s right up there on quality, tech and usability, as well.”
“If ever a car needed clear badges to tell other motorists what it is, it’s a 2.5-ton Lotus saloon car. Although if you saw it alongside Audi’s e‑tron GT and Porsche’s Taycan, chances are you’d be drawn to the Brit’s more distinctive style.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Let’s for a moment pretend the Emeya doesn’t have a Lotus badge. Looking at it from a cold, rational perspective, the Emeya is reasonably priced compared to rivals, has a comfortable ride, and a luxuriously spacious interior.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Lotus Emeya takes the structure of the taller Eletre electric SUV and wraps it in a lower-slung saloon body with a truly luxurious interior.” Read review
Discover EV
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 10 / 10 “I actually think it’s a lot better than the Mercedes-Benz EQE, and Tesla can keep its Model S. It is by Lotus’ own words softer than the Porsche Taycan, but people might like that!” Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “It’s still much bigger and heavier than the famed Lotus sports cars of the past, but the Emeya is a solid electric grand tourer. The build-quality, technology and driving experience are all highly impressive, making this a genuine competitor to the fearsome Porsche Taycan.” Author: Shane Wilkinson Read review
Motoring Research
Model reviewed: Emeya S Score: 8 / 10 “We’re still getting our heads around the idea of a Lotus with up to 905hp that weighs 2.6 tonnes. Look past the brand baggage, though, and the Lotus Emeya is an impressive performance EV – particularly in less expensive ‘S’ guise.” Author: Tim Pitt Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “No, the Emeya isn’t as sharp as a Taycan, but it’s far more spacious inside, has a bigger boot and feels more luxurious without having to plunder the options list. In fact, the Lotus badge is arguably its biggest hurdle. After all, you expect a certain degree of lightness and playfulness from a Lotus, it never engages or entertains like the best performance cars out there.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Emeya R Score: 6 / 10 “Certainly exhilarating but never relaxing, a bit like owning a menacing pet.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Lotus’ take on a four-door electric express wows more with its interior and comfort than how it handles.” Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of May 2025, the Lotus Emeya has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of May 2025, the Lotus Emeya 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 Emeya is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
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
301 – 379 miles
A – A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
3.4 m/KWh
E
3 – 3.7 m/KWh
D – E
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
50
F
50 – 50
F – F
The Lotus Emeya is an unsurprisingly expensive 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 fuel consumption in a petrol or diesel car) is poor, although a large battery means you can still expect more than 300 miles of driving range. Insurance is also inevitably in the very top group, so your annual premium will be pricey.
As of May 2025, we don’t have verified service and maintenance costs for the Emeya. Check back again soon for the latest information.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Lotus Emeya is a brand-new car, so we don’t expect to have any meaningful reliability data for a few years yet.
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 Emeya, we’ll publish the results here.
As of May 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Lotus Emeya. 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 Lotus dealer.
The electric supersaloon market is inevitably small, so potential rivals for the Lotus Emeya include petrol or hybrid models from other brands, as well as EVs like the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan.
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The Leapmotor T03 is a small electric five-door hatchback, classed as a city car. It’s similar in size to the Dacia Spring or Fiat 500e. It was launched in the UK in early 2025.
Leapmotor is a new Chinese brand that is part of the vast Stellantis network, making it a sister brand to the likes of Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroën. The T03 is one of the company’s first models to be launched in the UK. As of May 2025, there are about 40 dealers already in place across the UK, located alongside existing dealers from the Stellantis network.
The Leapmotor T03 is one of the cheapest new cars on the UK market, as well as being an electric car. Its major rival is the Dacia Spring – in terms of pricing, the Spring is a little cheaper but the T03 is better equipped.
Interior space is very good for a city car, helped by the fact that its an EV so the room required for a motor and battery is much less than needed for a petrol engine, gearbox, exhaust system, fuel tank and so on. This is particularly noticeable in the rear seats, although the boot is nothing to celebrate.
At its UK launch in early 2025, the T03 was highly praised for its keen pricing, high levels of standard equipment and spacious interior. However, the driving experience leaves much to be desired, especially from its electronic nanny systems. These drew many complaints from reviewers, with our own editor, Stuart Masson, describing them as “probably the most annoying and distracting anti-distraction systems of any new car” and “patently not fit for purpose”.
As of July 2025, the Leapmotor T03 holds a New Car Expert Rating of B ,with a score of 65%. It scores top marks for its low running costs (although we only have limited information at present) and zero tailpipe emissions, while its new car warranty coverage is also better than average. However, its media review scores have been very poor and we don’t yet have a safety rating as Euro NCAP has not assessed the T03. Check back again soon for the latest information.
Body style: Small five-door hatchback Engines:single electric motor Price:From £15,995 on-road
Launched: Spring 2025 Last updated: N/A Next update: 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
“In most ways, the new Leapmotor T03 impresses. It’s very well priced, you get a lot of kit for your money and it’s electric rather than petrol. But the electronic nanny systems are simply terrible.”
“The Leapmotor T03 trades on maximum value for money. With its sights set firmly on Dacia, the T03 is a credible alternative to the Spring EV, and should win fans on kit count alone. There are a few quirks to the driving experience and it does look a little ungainly, but as a first step into EV ownership (or second car in the household) there’s little not to like.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “Small and unashamedly basic, the Leapmotor T03 offers an affordable way to go electric … and little more than that.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Like the Dacia Spring, the Leapmotor T03 has its limitations, as many will want bigger EVs with longer ranges, although the T03 seems the more polished option compared to the Spring. With its simple pricing and specification strategy, the Leapmotor could be the perfect, affordable way to turn a fleet electric.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “I was pleasantly surprised by the Leapmotor T03. I was expecting it to be like its Chinese rivals – good for a first attempt but lacking the polish of a European car. But if you overlook the wind noise and irritating safety bongs, it’s almost indiscernible. It slots right into the A-segment as a genuinely attractive offering.” Author: Luke Wilkinson, Seth Walton Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7.6 / 10 “The Leapmotor T03 is a very affordable EV, yet it’s well equipped, good to drive and has a usable range.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Alastair Crooks, Tom Gumbrell Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Leapmotor T03 is the latest affordable electric car to hit the market and promises more range than the Dacia Spring – but it’s a totally unknown name and brand.” Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Here’s an all-electric city car which costs the same as petrol-powered rivals, yet is packed full of equipment and has a decent range too. It’s also the most efficient car we’ve ever tested.” Author: Tom Barnard Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Leapmotor T03 is one of the UK’s most affordable electric cars. It’s well equipped, it’s light and therefore agile to drive, performance from standstill is perfectly adequate for urban driving, and the range of 165 miles is practical for a city car. The main issue is whether people like its visual appearance – time will tell.” Author: Paul Clarke Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview “New name it might be, but Leapmotor could be really onto something with the T03 until its rivals properly get their acts together.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Unparalleled value for an EV.” Author: Luke Wilkinson, Seth Walton Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Leapmotor T03 comes loaded with kit and is a decent town runaround for just £15,995.” Author: Steve Fowler Read review
The Sun
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Leapmotor T03 is a no-frills, budget EV that’s cheaper than a Fiat 500 – just not as cute.” Author: Rob Gill Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 5 / 10 “Cheap and cheerful-ish.” Author: James Fossdyke Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “It’s hard to argue with the Leapmotor T03’s combination of very cheap and moderately cheerful, allied to its small size. It’s not great to drive, but if the UK government is going to get anywhere near its low CO2 targets as well as allowing the less well-off to maintain individual transportation, we’re going to need more cars like this in future.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “The Leapmotor T03 is no trolley with a roof: it comes across as well built, the interior is roomy, the drive’s more than adequate for pootling to the shops and it’s fairly comfy too. There’s bags of room for improvement though. Cheap cars like this can have character, something the T03 severely lacks. Plus the way the tech has been integrated will put a lot of people off. Please, please stop beeping at us.” Read review
Which EV?
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “Electric vehicles have a new value champion. The Leapmotor T03 is similarly priced to the Dacia Spring but with better quality, range and specification. Still primarily a city car, but lots of EV for the money.” Author: Tim Barnes-Clay Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of July 2025, the Leapmotor T03 has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of July 2025, the Leapmotor T03 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 T03 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
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
165 miles
C
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
4.5 m/KWh
B
We only have limited running cost data on the Leapmotor T03 at the moment, as it’s still a very new model. We do know that the electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of fuel economy on a petrol or diesel car) is very good, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
As soon as we have verified data on insurance group ratings and servicing costs, we’ll update this information accordingly.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Leapmotor T03 is a brand-new model, so we don’t have enough reliability data 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 T03, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Leapmotor T03
Overall rating
B
68%
New car warranty duration
4 years
New car warranty mileage
60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Leapmotor’s new car warranty is better than the industry average, although there are other brands in this price bracket (like BYD) that do better, offering up to seven years of warranty cover.
The duration for Leapmotor is four years, with a limit of 60,000 miles. Additionally, there is a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.
As of July 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Leapmotor T03. 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 Leapmotor dealer.
The city car market has been declining for several years as car manufacturers have struggled to design and manufacture small cars down to the price point required to be profitable. However, we are seeing a few electric city cars entering the market, like the Leapmotor T03 shown here and the Dacia Spring. Other small EVs are larger and/or more expensive.
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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 Kia EV2 is an upcoming small electric SUV, likely to be formally launched in late 2025 and arriving in the UK in the first half of 2026.
The images shown here are of the Kia Concept EV2, which was revealed to the world in April 2025. The production vehicle should look fairly similar, with some of the details (like the reverse-opening rear doors and lack of a central side pillar) toned down or removed for mass production.
The EV2 will be a close cousin of the Hyundai Inster, which launched in the UK in late 2024. Despite its rugged SUV-style styling, the EV2 is essentially a small hatchback with no significant off-roading capability.
Inside and out, the Kia EV2 will draw inspiration from its large SUV siblings, the EV3, EV5 and EV9. The concept version highlighted versatility in the cabin, with seats that slide a long way back and forth, detachable cushions, pop-up luggage dividers and other elements that would allow owners to re-shape the interior space to suit their needs. How much of this makes it through to the production EV2 remains to be seen.
Another element that Kia has heavily promoted in the Concept EV2 is the use of environmentally conscious materials wherever possible, particularly in various cabin panels and surfaces. Again, we’ll see how much of this is viable for production when more information becomes available.
We’ll update this page as more information about the new Kia EV2 becomes available. We expect UK pricing and specification information to be published in late 2025, with the car arriving here at some point in early 2026.
Body style: Small SUV-style hatchback Engines:single electric motor, front-wheel drive Price:TBA
Launch date: Late 2025 UK arrival date: Early 2026
Image gallery
Media reviews
The first media reviews of the Kia EV2 are likely to appear in late 2025. Keep checking back for the latest updates.
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
We don’t expect the Kia EV2 to undergo Euro NCAP safety testing until late 2025 or early 2026. Keep checking back for the latest information as soon as it becomes available.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
We don’t expect the Kia EV2 to undergo Green NCAP emissions testing until 2026 at the earliest.
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 EV2 is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
No data yet
As soon as we have verified running cost information for the Kia EV2 from our technical partner, Clear Vehicle Data, we’ll publish the information here.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Kia EV2 is an upcoming mode, so we won’t have any meaningful reliability data for years to come.
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 EV2, we’ll publish the results here.
The baby electric SUV market is growing rapidly, and there will be plenty of rivals for the Kia EV2 by the time it launches in the UK. Until we have official pricing and specification, we can only speculate as to which rival models will be most closely aligned with the EV2.
The Polestar 3 is a large electric crossover/SUV that has been on sale in the UK in 2024. The company claims it offers family-friendly SUV space and drives like a sports car.
Based on the same foundations as the new battery-powered Volvo EX90, UK reviewers have widely praised the Polestar 3 for its minimalist interior design and comfortable ride, but many outlets conclude that comparing the SUV to a sports car is not very accurate.
“Sure, it’s powerful”, says Carbuyer’s Charlie Harvey, “but there’s not much feel in the driving experience.” Alastair Crooks of Auto Express agrees, arguing that the EV “falls short of Polestar’s sporty claims, as you might expect of a two-and-a-half-tonne family car.”
As a family car, though, the UK motoring media largely agrees that the Polestar 3 stacks up well against its large electric rivals. That said, Parker’s CJ Hubbard explains that, while the Polestar 3 has a longer battery range, “the BMW iX is a better blend of luxury and utility.”
As of July 2025, the Polestar 3 holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 74%. It scores top marks for its excellent safety rating and zero tailpipe emissions, while its media review scores are also good. However, its running costs are high, largely because it’s not the most efficient user of electricity.
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “When it comes to space, range, charging speed and performance, everything looks great on paper. But in the real world, the Polestar 3 doesn’t quite deliver on all of those fronts. However, the well honed chassis means it’s better to drive than its substantial size would lead you to believe.” Author: Alex Ingram Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “Polestar brings us its first SUV with sleek space-age looks, the latest tech and a promise of sports car performance.” Author: Catherine King, Dan Trent Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “This is Polestar’s most convincing effort yet, sticking a Swedish cat amongst the Bavarian pigeons. The spacious and well-appointed interior impresses, as does the handling and promised range.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Polestar 3 SUV is a welcome addition to the electric brand’s lineup with a premium, well-built feel.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Andy Goodwin Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Good-looking, spacious, and plush, the Polestar 3 is an impressive big SUV. But it’s an expensive choice and the tech grates.” Author: James Batchelor Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “This crossover of estate and SUV means it’s more aerodynamic and brings efficiency improvements, but it also makes the 3 more engaging to drive as it has a lower centre of gravity. It’s really spacious too, especially in the back, and the quality is great.” Author: Tom Barnard Read review
Evo
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “A luxurious, composed, sharp-looking and competitively priced electric SUV it may be, with good power and solid dynamics. But the quirks and glitches aren’t gone…” Author: Sam Jenkins, Ethan Jupp Read review
Fleetworld
Model reviewed: Long Range Dual Motor “With my fleet hat pulled firmly on, the Polestar 3 is a very tempting large EV if you want to pamper yourself. I wouldn’t bother with the Performance Pack or dual-motor versions unless you really need four-wheel drive or crave the added pace. Better to save a substantial amount of money and simply revel in a sleek Swede that runs its key rivals very hard.” Author: Alisdair Suttie Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Overall, the Polestar 3 is a pretty convincing and compelling package, as it should be when prices start at around £70,000, and rise steeply as you progress through the various versions.” Author: Ivan Aistrop Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7.6 / 10 “It’s a better driving and more special feeling thing than the Mercedes EQE SUV, although the BMW iX is a better blend of luxury and utility.” Author: Keith Adams Read review
Regit
Model reviewed: Dual motor long range Score: 8 / 10 “The Polestar 3 is a beautifully designed and very practical five-seat SUV that’s big on style, space and performance.” Author: Maxine Ashford Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “It’s a full £15,000 cheaper than the cheapest Volvo EX90, which uses all of the same basic mechanical bits. So, you’re getting a sportier, better-looking, reasonably engaging-to-drive electric SUV for less, and all you’ve had to sacrifice are some extra seats and a more voluminous boot.” Author: Neil Briscoe Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Polestar 3 seems well engineered and good-looking, it rides and drives well and is as efficient as any of these giant battery SUVs can be.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Polestar 3 is very much a feelgood, mildly leftfield choice for a lux family crossover. Provided you can get on with its screen system.” 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 July 2025, the Polestar 3 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 Polestar 3 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, the Polestar 3 has only just started arriving on UK roads, so we don’t have enough reliability data on the SUV 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 Polestar 3, 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
381 miles
A
348 – 403 miles
A – A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
3.4 m/KWh
E
3.1 – 3.6 m/KWh
D – E
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
50
F
50 – 50
F – F
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£505
D
Year 2
£917
C
Year 3
£1,341
C
Year 4
£1,535
C
Year 5
£2,078
C
Overall
£6,376
C
The Polestar 3 can be a rather expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The car’s average battery range of 381 miles (ranging from 348 to 403 miles depending on the model you choose) is excellent when compared to the rest of the EV market. That said, it’s not very efficient. It’s electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) of 3.4 m/KWh is lower than average, but large rivals like the BMW iX and Kia EV9 are just as inefficient.
The car’s insurance premiums are also in the most expensive bracket, and its predicted five-year servicing and maintenance cost total of over £6k can also be considered expensive, especially as the servicing total for the Kia EV9 is estimated to be over £1k cheaper.
As of July 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Polestar 3. 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 Polestar dealer.
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Polestar 3, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
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Lease a Polestar 3
If you’re looking to lease a new Polestar 3, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
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Personal contract hire deals from Rivervale Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Polestar 3
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 3 (styled as MG3) is a small, supermini-class, five-door hatchback. This is the latest third-generation model, which launched in 2024. MG calls it the ‘MG3 Hybrid+’ due to its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain.
This model is light years better than the ancient model it replaced, which dated back to 2014 when MG was a very different car company. That car was one of the worst-rated cars in our Expert Rating Index, whereas this one sits firmly in the middle of the pack for small cars.
The MG 3 has received an encouraging set of good review scores from the British motoring media so far, as Alex Ingram of Auto Express argues the MG “among the most fun to drive, comfortable and best-equipped cars in its class”, while the Carbuyer team praises the hatchback for its “punchy hybrid system” and its “very competitive price”.
Our own editor, Stuart Masson, praises the MG 3 for offering “fantastic fuel economy and plenty of equipment for less money than you’d pay almost anywhere else”, although the refinement and driving experience are “lacking compared to a Volkswagen Polo or SEAT Ibiza.”
As of May 2025, the MG 3 holds a New Car Expert Rating of B with a score of 66%. It scores top marks for its low CO2 emissions, while its running costs are also good. However, its media review scores are only average, and we don’t yet have any Euro NCAP safety data to provide a safety rating. Check back again soon for the latest updates.
Body style: Small five-door hatchback Engines:petrol-electric hybrid Price:From £18,995 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 new MG 3 is light years ahead of the old model, and shows just how rapidly the company is advancing. The driving experience is nothing special, and it’s not very comfortable, but you’re getting a full hybrid drivetrain and plenty of standard kit at a very reasonable price.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 10 / 10 “The MG3 is among the most fun to drive, comfortable and best-equipped cars in its class. It’s also easily the fastest while returning strong fuel consumption figures. That it achieves all of this while vastly undercutting pretty much every other rival on price makes it a proper supermini star.” Author: Alex Ingram Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 5 / 10 “True to its value brand credentials, the MG3 Hybrid undercuts similar hybrid superminis like the Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 Hybrid, but you can feel where that money has been saved. Low cost of entry and a seven-year warranty count in its favour but you get what you pay for and we’d be happy spending a little more for the extra quality of the Renault, Toyota or Mazda.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid Trophy Score: 8 / 10 “The new MG3 Hybrid+ will make much more of a mark than its predecessor, thanks to its efficiency and practicality, but rivals are more fun to drive and better made.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The new MG3 is an exceptional step forward compared to its predecessor. A hybrid supermini available for less than the price of a basic petrol version of most rivals is a real selling point. It’s not the most resolved hybrid powertrain, nor does it offer the exceptional fuel economy you get from a Toyota Yaris. But it is a good supermini available for a great price, and that should always be applauded.” Author: Ted Welford Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.6 / 10 “The MG 3 is something of a bargain, boasts an efficient hybrid powertrain and it’s good fun to boot.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Alex Ingram Read review
Fleetworld
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid Trophy “The MG’s low cost, more-than-decent fuel economy and generous kit in Trophy spec, and it’s a serious contender for any fleet driver looking at a supermini.” Author: Alisdair Suttie Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “The MG 3 has achieved a repeat of the MG 4 EV’s knock-out value for money. It’s a hugely competent supermini, packing a full hybrid drivetrain and almost 200hp, for similar sums of money for cars with little more than half the power. Comparable hybrids, such as the Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris are significantly more expensive – food for thought for all of the opposition.” Author: Keith Adams Read review
The Sun
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid Trophy “The MG 3 Hybrid is a fun, comfy car that’s perfect for short journeys and city driving – but the best bit is the price.” Author: Rob Gill Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol/electric hybrid Trophy Score: 8 / 10 “While the headline here is the cheapest full hybrid model in the UK, the MG 3 isn’t that much cheaper than its rivals unless you take the level of equipment into account. Although the MG is perfectly adequate as a hybrid model, I’d wager there are those who’d prefer a decent used Toyota Yaris, Honda Jazz or even a Renault Clio.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The new MG 3 deserves its place at the supermini table. Good to drive, frugal to run, and cheap as they come.” Author: Peter Rawlins Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of May 2025, the MG 3 Hybrid+ has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of May 2025, the MG 3 Hybrid+ has not been lab tested by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is lower for an hybrid car) and energy efficiency. Hybrid cars are more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the MG 3 Hybrid+ is likely to score 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 May 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the MG 3 Hybrid+ 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 new MG 3 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
Variation
Score
Hybrid models
64 mpg
A
64 – 64 mpg
A – A
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Hybrid models
100 g/km
A
100 – 100 g/km
A – A
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
21
A
21 – 21
A – A
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£157
A
Year 2
£442
A
Year 3
£713
A
Year 4
£877
A
Year 5
£1,173
A
Overall
£3,362
A
The MG 3 Hybrid+ is a very 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.
Only available as a petrol/electric hybrid, the MG 3’s average fuel consumption of 64mpg is excellent when compared to the rest of the market at large, and it’s insurance bracket is on the cheap side too.
The car’s predicted servicing and maintenance costs for the first five years of ownership are also excellent, though not as cheap as the larger all-electric MG 4.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the MG 3 Hybrid+ has received.
2024
Auto Express Awards – Best Affordable Hybrid
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the MG 3 Hybrid+, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
In a market where just about every car manufacturer seems to be promoting ‘electrified’ models, it can be hard to decipher just exactly what technology they’re referring to. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at hybrid cars and running through some of the benefits and drawbacks of this technology.
The word ‘hybrid’ can mean various different things in the car industry, which can be very unhelpful to customers. The general idea is that it refers to a vehicle that has both an internal combustion (petrol or diesel) engine and an electric motor, rather than just one or the other. But that’s just a starting point.
Broadly speaking, there are three recognised categories of hybrid vehicles: regular hybrid, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid. This article will concentrate on the regular hybrid, which is the original hybrid vehicle and has been around for almost 30 years now.
Thanks to car company marketing jargon, regular hybrid cars may be known as full hybrids or (falsely) ‘self-charging’ hybrids. You may also see the abbreviation HEV, which stands for hybrid electric vehicle and is also misleading (it’s still predominantly a petrol vehicle, not an electric vehicle).
[Here at The Car Expert, the only descriptions we accept are regular hybrid or basic hybrid. All the rest is misleading marketing crap – ed]
A regular hybrid pairs a petrol (or, rarely, a diesel) engine and an electric motor, which gets its energy from a small battery. The car can drive on either petrol or electric power, or a mix of both at the same time.
The battery cannot be plugged into an external source, so all of its electricity comes either directly or indirectly from the petrol engine. We’ll come back to that shortly. A hybrid can run on its electric motor for a few miles without using the petrol engine, but only if you’re being gentle with the accelerator.
Other types of hybrid
There are two other types of hybrid that you may encounter: the mild hybrid and the plug-in hybrid.
A mild hybrid uses a small electric motor to assist a petrol or diesel engine, taking on some of the load to reduce the work that the engine has to do. This improves a car’s performance and/or fuel economy, but usually not by much. A mild hybrid can’t run on electric power alone as the electric motor is not connected to the wheels – it simply acts to support the engine. There’s also usually no battery, so the electric motor relies on the petrol/diesel engine to generate its electricity.
Here at The Car Expert, we generally don’t bother mentioning mild hybrids as they tend to provide very little practical benefit, and you drive the car like a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle anyway. We will usually describe a mild hybrid car as “a petrol (or diesel) car with mild hybrid assistance” as it’s more accurate.
A plug-in hybrid works similarly to a regular hybrid but is more developed in every way. The battery is bigger and, as the name suggests, can be plugged into an external charging point. That means you can charge the car at home or at a public charging point to fill up the battery, which you’ll need to do if you want to maximise the benefit of having a larger battery.
The electric motor is also usually bigger and more powerful, so can take more of the driving load on its own. Most plug-in hybrids can do at least 20 miles just on the electric motor and battery without calling on the petrol engine, and some of the latest models can do more than 50 miles.
How does a hybrid system work?
A regular or plug-in hybrid has two power sources to drive the car: a petrol engine and an electric motor. There have been some diesel hybrids and plug-in hybrids over the years, but very few (Mercedes still perseveres with them today, but most other manufacturers have given up on diesel altogether).
Depending on your driving circumstances and how much electricity is in the battery, the car can drive as a regular petrol car, a fully electric car, or use both sources at the same time for maximum performance. By using whichever power source gives the best result for your current driving need, a hybrid can maximise efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel bills. However, its effectiveness will depend on the sophistication of the car and how well it integrates petrol and electric motors. Newer hybrids do this much better than older models, giving a much better driving experience and better fuel economy.
The battery supplies electricity to the electric motor. While a plug-in hybrid allows you to connect the car to an external charger, a regular hybrid doesn’t have a plug so you can’t do that. Car companies also use misleading phrases like “no need to plug in!” when talking about a regular hybrid, as if that’s some kind of advantage. It’s not. It just means that the electricity has to come from the car itself, which it achieves in two ways.
Firstly, whenever you coast or brake in a hybrid vehicle, the car is able to generate a small amount of electricity that is sent to the battery. This is called regeneration, and what car company marketing people describe as “self-charging” and act like it’s magic. In reality, all you’re doing is recouping a small percentage of the energy you’ve already spent accelerating the car in the first place. So you might spend ten units of fuel energy to accelerate your car from rest to 30mph, and then get one unit of electrical energy back again as you slow back down to a stop. The electricity you’ve gained has been provided indirectly from the petrol engine.
Secondly, the car can use the petrol engine as a generator, burning petrol to create electricity. This is often described as forced regeneration. Some hybrid cars will have a button in the cabin somewhere that the driver can use to activate this function, while other cars handle it automatically.
How does a regular hybrid compare to a plug-in hybrid?
A regular hybrid system features a battery large enough to drive the vehicle using electric power only for short periods of time. That means a few miles, at most, before you run out of electricity in the battery and the petrol engine needs to take over.
Unlike plug-in hybrids, which have a quoted electric-only driving range, regular hybrids don’t tend to have a specified electric-only range. They excel on urban routes, managing the use of electric power and petrol power as necessary. Because you’re stopping and starting regularly, it maximises the regeneration of electricity to the battery, helping to improve your overall fuel economy. And when the car is running on purely electric power, it is usually much quieter and smoother than running as a petrol car.
When a hybrid is travelling at motorway speeds, it generally relies on the petrol engine alone while the electric motor is not used – so you’re effectively carrying a couple of hundred kilograms of ballast from a motor and battery that are not being used. That means your motorway fuel economy may not be as good as a pure petrol car.
A plug-in hybrid usually has a more powerful electric motor, so it can handle more of the driving duties – even at motorway speeds, if there’s juice in the battery. It still probably won’t be as economical for long-distance motorway cruising, however.
Regular hybrids are likely to be a better option for drivers who don’t have easy access to charging, since you’re not going to get the benefit of a plug-in hybrid if you can’t plug it in. If you do have access to home or work charging, a plug-in hybrid will give you more electricity more cheaply, which will significantly reduce your running costs.
Do hybrid cars use petrol?
Most hybrid cars have a petrol engine as their primary source of power to turn the wheels. There have only been a small number of diesel hybrids over the years (a few more diesel plug-in hybrids) as diesel engines are not as well suited to regular start-stop behaviour, so they don’t deliver the same level of economy and emissions benefits in a hybrid format.
As well as using the petrol engine to drive the car, hybrids can also use it to charge the battery, which then provides electricity to power the electric motor.
The amount of petrol you use, relative to the amount of electricity, will depend on a few factors such as your driving style, the driving environment and the car itself. If you’re driving gently in an urban setting and your car has an efficient electric motor, you will spend more of your journey using electrical power instead of petrol power. But when you put your foot down hard on the accelerator, or head out onto a motorway, you’ll be driving a petrol car.
What are the pros and cons of a hybrid car?
Having both a petrol engine and an electric motor can offer either the best of both worlds, or the worst of both worlds. For a regular hybrid, here’s an idea of some of the the pros and cons compared to a regular petrol car.
Pros
Better economy than a petrol car in urban driving
Smooth, quiet EV driving at low speeds
Lower emissions rating than an equivalent petrol car, which usually means lower road tax bills
Some benefits of a full EV without needing access to a charging point or changing your driving habits
Combined petrol and electric power provides additional performance
Relatively simple to provide part-time four-wheel drive, using petrol motor to drive front wheels and electric motor for the rear wheels (or the other way round)
Cons
Motorway fuel economy no better than a petrol car, and often worse
Transition between electric and petrol power under acceleration can often be clunky
No manual gearbox option
Very limited electric driving range thanks to small battery and electric motor
Boot space and/or rear cabin space often compromised to fit battery and associated components
Higher maintenance costs than equivalent petrol car, which can offset fuel savings
Are hybrid cars becoming more popular?
As part of the global transition from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, governments around the world are encouraging people to buy electric vehicles. But while EV sales are steadily growing, there’s no doubt that a percentage of the car buying public is still not ready to make the leap from pure petrol or diesel power to pure electric power. If that sounds like you, a hybrid may be a good compromise.
Here in the UK, sales of new hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars are growing, pretty much directly at the expensive of petrol and diesel cars.
As of mid-2025, petrol cars now make up about half of all new car sales, a market share that is steadily declining. Diesel cars are almost extinct in new car terms, making up less than 5% of the market. Electric cars make up nearly 25%, regular hybrids about 15% and plug-in hybrids 10%.
By contrast, if you look back to 2017, diesel sales made up more than half of all new car sales, with petrol taking another 40%. EV, hybrid and plug-in hybrid made up less than 10% of all sales.
We’re probably at the period of peak hybrid in terms of new car sales. According to the government’s roadmap, EVs are targeted to make up 80% of all new car sales by 2030, with the remaining 20% split between regular and plug-in hybrids. They will then be phased out from new car sales by 2035.
When will new hybrid cars be banned in the UK?
The UK government is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. Regular hybrids and plug-in hybrids can still be offered until 2035. There is no plan to remove used cars from UK roads, so these dates only apply to the sale of new cars.
Under the previous Conservative government, the rules around which hybrid cars would be permitted to be sold after 2030 were unclear. The Labour government has confirmed both plug-in hybrid and regular hybrid cars can be sold until 2035, after which time only electric cars will be allowed.
What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of Volvo? Chances are, it will be “safety”. The Swedish brand has built a long and enviable reputation for producing some of the safest cars in the world, which continues today.
From its very beginning, almost 100 years ago, safety was Volvo’s number one priority. Its most famous innovation is the three-point seatbelt, introduced in 1959 and claimed by the company to have saved more than a million lives around the world over the last 65 years.
Today, Volvo combines its expertise in safety with high standards of quality and technology, making it a credible rival to the German luxury carmakers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Volvo is a brand as technologically savvy as any of its competitors and, unsurprisingly, a leading player in the transition to electrification.
A very Swedish brand, despite being Chinese-owned for the last 15 years, Volvo enjoys a brand reputation that makes it the envy of many rivals.
So who or what is Volvo?
At time of writing, Volvo is just two years shy of its centenary anniversary. Founded in Sweden in 1927, the car company had safety as its guiding principle from the start, and it’s a mantra the company has never moved away from. The name Volvo comes from the Latin, meaning ‘I roll’. This is because the original intention had been to create a new type of ball bearing but those plans never came to pass.
The first Volvo car was followed within a year by the first Volvo truck, the start of a truck and bus division that immediately became more profitable and important than its cars, especially as it was not until the launch of a small car called the PV444 in 1944 that Volvo really took off as a car manufacturer. It quickly became Volvo’s best seller, especially in North America, and led to the company opening a new factory in Canada.
However, by the 1970s, Volvo was struggling against a wave of new Japanese brands, particularly in the United States. The company decided that it could only survive by merging with a larger car manufacturer. After a failed attempt to join with fellow Swedish car manufacturer Saab, the Volvo Car Corporation was separated from the rest of the company in 1978. It worked closely with Renault for more than 15 years until a planned merger in 1994 was rejected by the board and shareholders, and the partnership ended.
Volvo Group management then decided that commercial vehicles were the future and looked to offload the struggling car division altogether. In 1999, Ford paid more than $6 billion for the Volvo Car Corporation and placed the Swedish brand in its ‘Premier Automotive Group’ alongside Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.
Ford made the most of its asset – Volvo technology was used by the other three Premier brands and in Ford cars. But the division faced mounting losses, and Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Indian giant Tata in 2008. Ford was loath to lose Volvo, however, and repositioned the brand with a more upmarket image to take on the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Typical of this new breed of Volvo was the first XC60 crossover, which was an immediate success and continues on sale in its second generation today.
2008 Volvo XC602025 Volvo XC60
Despite the sale of Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin to boost cash reserves back in America, Ford’s troubles deepened in the great financial crisis of the late 2000s. Fears for the future of Volvo increased and pleas to ensure the brand’s survival were even made to the Swedish government. Volkswagen was touted as a suitor, but the successful bidder proved to be Chinese giant Geely, and a $1.8 billion deal was signed in 2010.
Geely proved an excellent fit for Volvo. Technical advancements, such as new vehicle platforms and more efficient petrol and diesel engines, helped to establish quality alongside the company’s long-standing reputation for safety. In 2015, the brand hit half a million annual sales for the first time. In recent years, Geely has also become the second-largest shareholder in Volvo Group, the parent company that sold off Volvo Cars to Ford, so in a way the car company has come home under its Chinese owners…
It is perhaps no surprise for a car manufacturer from Scandinavia (where the switch to electric has progressed much faster than elsewhere) and owned by the Chinese (who are amassing a considerable lead in developing new EV technology), Volvo has made large strides towards EV adoption. It dropped its traditional saloons and estates to focus on SUVs, and announced that they would all be fully electric by 2030.
Recently, however, this ambition has been scaled back slightly as the growth in EV demand has slowed and fierce competition has increased the number of options in the market. Some of the estates are now back on sale, and the brand is now saying that by 2030 it intends at least 90% of its sales to be ‘electrified’ – meaning both full EVs and hybrids. The end goal is still a purely EV line-up, but it has probably been delayed by five years.
What models does Volvo have and what else is coming?
Once known for its large saloons and particularly estates, Volvo has moved away from such cars – the S60 and S90 saloons were both dropped in 2023 while their estate siblings, the V60 and V90, were also cut but then reinstated a year later, when Volvo decided the estate market was not dying after all. They now sit in a showroom otherwise dominated by SUVs. The current nine-strong model line-up also includes four electric vehicles.
The V60 and V90 estates are unlikely to be around for much longer, despite having their fans and both being regarded as quality premium products. The V60 receives consistent praise for its general quality of design and comfort levels and earns a New Car Expert Rating of B in The Car Expert’s Expert Rating analysis. It cannot match the rival BMW 3 Series Touring for its handling, but this is an area in which BMW excels.
It’s a similar story with the Volvo V90 – much-praised design, quality and comfort but if you want the best drive go for the BMW 5 Series Touring. Again, the Volvo earns a New Car Expert Rating of B rating from The Car Expert.
In recent years the core Volvo range has been the three SUVs, going up in size through XC40, XC60 and XC90. With the Swedish brand having committed to selling only electric vehicles by 2030, all were thought to be coming towards the end of their lives.
However, Volvo has indicated that it could keep these three around a while longer. The XC90 recently underwent a major update, inspired by the electric EX90 that was supposed to replace it.
All three of the fossil-fuel SUVs are sold with plug-in hybrid powertrains and all are highly rated, especially the mid-sized XC60 to which The Car Expert gives a New Car Expert Rating of A.
The flagship of the four electric Volvos currently on offer is the EX90 large SUV, launched in 2024 and offering seven seats. It’s earned good reviews from some testers though it has also been dubbed too large and heavy, and expensive. The Car Expert gives it a New Car Expert Rating of B, while its smaller siblings the EX30 and EX40 both get a New Car Expert Rating ofA.
The EX30 has particularly impressed, racking up a couple of Car of the Year titles from UK media but also being criticised for the lack of buttons in the cabin, with almost everything controlled through a central touchscreen. New for 2025 is a more rugged version called the EX30 Cross Country.
The EX40 was the first fully electric Volvo, initially known as the XC40 Recharge, and is closely related to the Polestar 2 produced by Volvo’s sister brand. A coupé SUV version of this model is called the EC40 (initially called the C40) – this was the first Volvo model to launch only in electric form. While generally praised, it has been criticised for being notably more expensive than the mechanically identical EX40.
Coming soon is the ES90 large saloon – effectively the electric successor to the S90 and so targeting the executive saloon market against cars like the BMW i5 and Audi A6 e-tron. Also sold in China but not currently available in the UK is the EM90, a large and luxurious electric people mover.
Where can I try a Volvo car?
Volvo is one of the manufacturers that has been evolving towards offering direct sales of its cars through its website, and has even extended this to used cars. Despite this, dealerships still form an essential part of the sales process, especially when it comes to offering test drives.
The brand has just over 100 retail outlets, reasonably well spread across the UK, so a prospective Volvo buyer should not have to drive too far to try one out.
What makes Volvo different to the rest?
Volvo has managed to change its 1970s reputation for tough but not particularly luxurious cars to become one of those makers that sits above other mainstream brands, with levels of quality and technology that makes them a credible rival to the ‘premium’ makers such as BMW and Audi. But the one quality that has stayed with this maker is its reputation for safety.
Volvos offered laminated glass windows way back in the 1940s. The company invented the three-point seatbelt, then opened up the patent to ensure all makers could fit them in their vehicles. Rear-facing child seats, side impact protection and side airbags, and blind-spot information are among a long list of safety features universally used today but first seen on a Volvo.
Despite routinely clocking up some of the highest scores in Euro NCAP crash tests, Volvo continues to heavily develop its safety package – the company has a stated aim of a future which produces “zero collisions”.
“A million more” – Volvo’s superb advertisement celebrating the value of the seat belt
A Volvo fact to impress your friends
Volvos have always been known to be robust vehicles, and nowhere is this more acutely demonstrated than in the manufacturer’s own High Mileage Club. When your car passes 150,000 miles you qualify for Bronze membership and a badge for your car celebrating the fact, 300,000 miles gets you Silver membership, and to hit Gold you just have to clock up 500,000 miles.
Top of the club as we write is one Irv Gordon in the USA, who reckons he’s done more than three million miles in his Volvo 1800S.
Summary
The Volvo of today is a brand that offers much in all areas – its cars are built to high standards, are comfortable to travel in and perform well. Anyone who gets into a Volvo also knows they are travelling in one of the safest cars around, the quality that this maker values more than any other.
Aston Martin has announced that its new ‘special’ DBX S performance SUV is now available to order in the UK, which is the most powerful SUV the brand has ever produced.
Powered by a 727hp 4.0-Litre V8 petrol engine with powertrain technology transferred from the forthcoming Valhalla supercar, the introduction of the DBX S means that Aston Martin now once again offers the most powerful ICE-powered SUV on the market – this high-riding Aston having 12hp more than the V12-powered Ferrari Purosangue.
This isn’t the first time that the British manufacturer has used the ‘S’ moniker for a new high-performance version of an existing model – Aston has been using the suffix since the launch of the Vanquish S sports car in the noughties.
The DBX S makes use of the same twin-turbocharged engine as the DBX 707 – the previous high-performance range-topper – but with several improvements that boost the power output by 20hp. Aston has also made the DBX S up to 47kg lighter than the DBX 707 thanks to a new optional carbon fibre roof and optional 23-inch magnesium alloy wheels.
Despite these changes, the manufacturer says that the new ‘S’ can complete a 0-62mph sprint in 3.3 seconds, which is the same sprint time as the DBX 707 and a tenth of a second off the Ferrari Purosangue’s 0-62mph sprint time. That said, Aston claims that the DBS S is 0-3 seconds faster in a 0-124mph sprint than its ‘707’ sibling.
This all-wheel drive SUV makes use of a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Aston adds that steering tweaks have made the car’s handling more responsive, and that the car’s turning circle has been decreased by around half a metre down to 12 metres.
On the exterior styling front, this ‘S’ version has a revised jet black front grille design, a splitter, diffuser and side skirts finished in black and red, and a revised rear bumper that sits above vertically-stacked quad mount exhausts that reportedly make the V8 engine louder.
Inside, the seats are trimmed in Alcantara leather (semi-aniline leather upholstery and red seatbelts are optional) and an ‘entirely bespoke’ infotainment touchscreen is mounted on the centre of the dashboard that Aston says it has designed in-house. A 14-speaker sound system comes as standard, but the car can otherwise be specced with a 23-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system for an extra fee.
That sums up what we know about the new DBX S. The SUV is now available to order in the UK, though Aston Martin is yet to confirm the model’s pricing. The DBX 707 currently costs £205k, and the price tag of the new ‘S’ is likely to exceed that number.
Although many people don’t realise it, China has been the world’s largest producer of motor vehicles since 2008. Today, its automotive industry dwarfs every other country in the world, with an annual production in excess of 30 million vehicles. Next best is the USA, on about 10 million.
A few more numbers illustrate the scale of the Chinese car industry. One in three motor vehicles worldwide (31+ million out of 95 million) is built in China, and the other two-thirds are loaded with Chinese components. China built more motor vehicles last year than the UK has built over the last 25 years combined.
As well as a rapidly growing number of Chinese car brands, many European and American car companies also build cars in China for export around the world. You could be buying a new BMW, Mini or Tesla and not know that it’s assembled in China.
The shift to electric vehicles is only accelerating China’s dominance in the global car industry. The EV sector in China is far more developed than here in Europe, with about half of all new cars being electric. The country has also developed a stranglehold on many of the crucial raw materials required for producing EV batteries, which is likely to cement its position in coming years.
Chinese brands selling in the UK
Chinese car brands are establishing a presence in the UK at a rapid pace, with six different Chinese manufacturers already selling new models in the UK and several more on the way. This also includes MG, a well-known British car brand that has been fully owned by the Chinese company SAIC Motor since 2007.
BYD
Entire range built in Asia
BYD seal
With its factories located in China, Thailand and India, you can be confident that any of the growing number of BYD cars on British roads started their life on an Asian production line.
The range now includes the Dolphin hatchback, Seal saloon, Atto 3 SUV and Seal U SUV, with the larger Sealion 7 SUV also on the way. BYD surpassed Tesla as the world’s fastest-growing car brand last year, recording over 8,700 new car sales in the UK in 2024.
BYD wasn’t the first Chinese brand to arrive in the UK – that was Great Wall Motors’ sub-brand Ora. The cute Ora 03 electric hatchback launched in 2022 (originally called the Funky Cat) and is still the brand’s only offering to British buyers three years later. It is assembled in both China and Thailand.
Another Chinese GWM brand, Haval, is launching its new Jolion Pro SUV in the UK in the coming months.
You may not yet have heard of Jaecoo, as the Chery-owned brand has just arrived, but it’s quickly building up its UK presence.
Jaecoo launched its first car in the UK, the petrol and plug-in hybrid Jaecoo 7 SUV, in February this year. It’s been a successful launch, with more than 2,000 cars sold in the first couple of months on sale.
Next up is the Jaecoo 5 range – available with either petrol or electric power – which is set to arrive over summer. Also rumoured to be on the way are the seven-seat Jaecoo 8 SUV and at least one other model.
Leapmotor arrived in the UK last year with two new electric models – the pint-sized T03 city car and C10 mid-sized SUV. It will also soon bolster its fledgling UK range with q compact B10 electric crossover.
The brand is the only Chinese manufacturer to assemble some of its cars in Europe. Due to its partnership with Stellantis – which owns 20% of Leapmotor – the T03 is manufactured in Poland for the European market, while the B10 and C10 are both built in China.
Althogh it was founded in Oxford in 1924, MG has been owned by Chinese giant SAIC Motor for 18 years. Most of its cars are assembled in China, although SAIC also has plants in Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan, and the company retains a design centre in London.
Under its Chinese ownership, MG’s range has blossomed to encompass petrol, hybrid and electric models. Although it no longer builds affordable sports roadsters, the company is probably more profitable and stable than it has ever been.
Another brand owned by Chinese giant Chery, Omoda arrived in the UK last year and is a sister brand to Jaecoo.
The marque’s range currently includes the petrol-powered 5 and electric E5 SUVs. Arriving shortly is the larger Omoda 9, to be followed later in the year by the Omoda 7 and probably next year by the smaller Omoda 3 – all of which are built in China.
A fledgling Chinese brand that has just arrived on British roads, Skywell has one offering so far in the electric BE11 SUV. The car is built in Nanjing, China.
Compared to other Chinese rivals that are pushing hard to corner the market with keen pricing and aggressive dealership expansion, Skywell has had a more cautious UK launch with a smaller dealer network.
XPeng (pronounced ‘Xiao Peng’) landed in the UK back in March with the launch of its mid-sized electric G6 SUV. The marque also plans to bring its P7+ saloon, seven-seater X9 people carrier and flagship G9 SUV to the UK market in the near future.
The brand’s entire range is built at the company’s factory in Guangzhou, China.
Several big European names have strong and long-established connections to Chinese manufacturing. Volkswagen Group, for example, has been making some of its cars in China since 1978. In 2025, the vast majority of Chinese-built cars from European and US brands are all-electric models, and are built in China as part of a partnership with a Chinese automotive company, or because electric car battery production is cheaper there, or because a Chinese brand partly owns the European marque.
There are several models not mentioned below, like the Audi Q4 e-tron, Volkswagen ID.3, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class and many more, that are manufactured in both Europe and China, with Chinese manufacturing generally reserved for the Chinese domestic market and other Asian countries.
The BMW iX3 was the brand’s first electric SUV, which arrived in the UK in 2021. It was also BMW’s first model built for export to the UK and Europe from the brand’s factory in Shenyang, China.
Now approaching the end of its model life, the iX3 is set to be replaced by the new iX3 Neue Klasse SUV which is entering production in both China and South Africa. The majority of BMW electric models, including the i4, i5, i7 and flagship iX, are assembled in Germany.
While the majority of models in Citroën’s current range is built in Europe, the French brand has been building cars in the Chinese city of Wuhan for decades, though not necessarily for the European market.
That changed in 2022 with the introduction of the brand’s upmarket C5 X liftback, which is exclusively built in Chengdu, China as part of a partnership between parent company Stellantis and Chinese company Dongfeng.
Sporty SEAT sub-brand Cupra has recently launched its new Tavascan SUV in the UK – an electric car that is only built at Volkswagen’s Hefei factory in China.
Known for its unparalleled value-for-money pricing, Dacia builds most of its model range in its home nation of Romania. However, to keep pricing for its all-electric Spring hatchback as low as possible, Dacia decided to move the car’s manufacturing abroad.
The Spring is assembled in Shiyan, China as part of a joint venture with parent company Renault, Chinese automaker Dongfeng, and Nissan.
Another renowned British automotive name that is not exactly British anymore, Lotus is backed by Chinese brand Geely, which owns a controlling 51% of the luxury marque.
While the petrol-powered Lotus Emira sports car is assembled in Norfolk, the brand’s all-electric Emeya grand tourer and Eletre SUV are built in Wuhan, China.
Back in 2020, BMW began a joint venture with Great Wall Motor to produce all-electric Mini models in China. This partnership continues today, with Mini’s Aceman crossover and new Cooper Electric hatchback assembled in the city of Zhangjiagang.
BMW did have plans to start manufacturing these electric models at Mini’s Oxford plant in the UK where the ICE-powered Mini Cooper is built, but has delayed the investment needed for this project due to “market uncertainty” – and presumably the fact that it already builds the car in China for less than it can do in the UK.
Since its establishmentd in 2017, Volvo spin-off Polestar has always built its models in China.
The Polestar 2 saloon is currently built in Zhejiang, the Polestar 3 SUV is built in Chengdu, and the Polestar 4 is built in the city of Ningbo. Like parent company Volvo, Chinese giant Geely owns a large stake in Polestar, recently increasing its share to become the largest stakeholder in the upmarket all-electric brand.
Originally under the Mercedes-Benz umbrella, Chinese automaker Geely bought a 50% stake in Smart in 2019.
This joint Mercedes-Geely partnership has rejuvenated the Smart brand, and sees the marque’s #1, #3 and upcoming #5 SUVs assembled in Xi’an, China. Mercedes-Benz provides the exterior and interior design, while Geely handles the engineering and manufacturing of the models.
Despite the ongoing US-China tariff war, American all-electric marque Tesla has recently opened its second large factory in Shanghai, where it builds the Model 3 saloon.
Tesla also builds its popular Model Y SUV in China, but UK and European vehicles are supplied from the company’s German factory in Berlin.
Swedish brand Volvo has been building cars in China many years, with full ownership of three different Chinese factories. Geely owns a large stake in the company.
The brand’s compact EX30 crossover is built exclusively in Chengdu, China – though production is planned to be moved to Belgium in 2026 – and the brand’s large EX90 SUV, EM90 people carrier and S90 saloon are assembled in China.
Volvo also builds its XC40 and EX40 SUV in China, but also builds them in Belgium for sale in Europe and the UK.
The Hyundai Inster is a small budget-end battery-powered hatchback and the entry-level all-electric model in Hyundai’s UK range.The range also includes a beefier Inster Cross variant that is more suited to off-road ‘adventures’.
Described as an “impressive package” by the Daily Mail’s Rob Hull, Auto Trader’s Dan Trent argues that the Inster is a great addition to the sub-£25k budget EV market that is “generously equipped and proves affordable doesn’t have to look cheap.”
Also praised for its stylish exterior looks by several reviewers, the car is also praised by many for its competitive battery range. “It’s not as cheap as we had hoped”, says Steve Fowler of The Independent, pointing to the fact that rivals like the Renault 5, Citroën ë-C3 and Dacia Spring are cheaper as standard.
As of July 2025, the Hyundai Inster holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 76%. It scores top marks for its low running costs, zero tailpipe emissions and warranty coverage, while its initial media review scores and Euro NCAP safety rating are also good.
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 10 / 10 “The new wave of affordable, attractive and relevant electric cars like the Hyundai Inster is a breath of fresh air. Comfortably hitting the sub-£25,000 entry price point also targeted by the likes of the Renault 5 and Citroën ë-C3, the Inster is more expensive than a Dacia Spring or Leapmotor T03 but is more generously equipped and proves affordable doesn’t have to look cheap.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “The Hyundai is sure to attract attention from fleets looking to electrify due to its affordable pricing, quirky look, class-leading range, and its easy going, comfortable drive.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Hyundai has hit the bullseye here with a cool Dikec-like accuracy. For a compact urban runabout, the Inster is big where it counts – big on character and charm, big on clever and flexible packaging, and big on range and performance. If you’re looking for an affordable and stylish runabout that doesn’t feel compromised in every area, then the Inster should be at the top of your must-drive list.” Author: Ben Whitworth Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.6 / 10 “The Hyundai Inster looks pricey on the face of it, but it’s well built and upmarket inside.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Richard Ingram Read review
Daily Mail
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Hyundai Inster is an impressive package. For such a small car, it’s hugely roomy and loaded with quality materials and kit you usually expect to find in bigger cars. But this latter point might also be its downfall. Had Hyundai done away with some features that aren’t necessary for such a compact car, it could have created an EV that’s truly affordable.” Author: Rob Hull Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “Such a welcome addition to the electric car classes, the Hyundai Inster is versatile, stylish, affordable and has loads of ‘big car’ kit. We absolutely love it.” Author: Ginny Buckley Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Hyundai Inster is a charming electric car with a surprisingly spacious and high-quality interior. Despite its diminutive size, it has the sort of onboard tech more commonly seen on premium cars, although prices do reflect this.” Author: Richard Aucock Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Hyundai Inster has eye-catching, SUV-aping styling. Its roomy, practical interior is packed with standard equipment. But it’s still pricey for such a small car, and the base model misses out on rear seat flexibility.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The world needs more cars like this.” Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Hyundai’s entry-level model is a cute all-electric mini-SUV to compete against the likes of the Renault 5. It boasts an impressive array of tech, but it’s not as cheap as we had hoped.” Author: Steve Fowler Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “Good but doesn’t Inster the soul.” Author: Will Dron Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Hyundai Inster is a refined and good looking little car, at home in the city and suburbs. Price a little stiff though.” Author: Paul Horrell 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 July 2025, the Hyundai Inster 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 Inster is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
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
218 miles
C
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
4.2 m/KWh
C
As of July 2025, we only have limited information about the Hyundai Inster’s running costs. Its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of fuel economy for a petrol or diesel car) is good, which helps to deliver a decent battery range for this class of car.
We should be getting servicing and insurance cost data shortly, so 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 Hyundai Inster 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 Inster, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Hyundai Inster
Overall rating
A
96%
New car warranty duration
5 years
New car warranty mileage
Unlimited miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Hyundai’s new car warranty is better than average, and better than rival brands in a similar price bracket as the Inster.
The duration is five years, with no limit on mileage. In addition to the standard new car warranty, there is a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
If you’re looking to buy a used car that is approaching the end of its warranty period, a used car warranty is usually a worthwhile investment. Check out The Car Expert’s guide to the best used car warranty providers, which will probably be cheaper than a warranty sold by a dealer.
As of July 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Hyundai Inster. 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 Hyundai dealer.
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Lease a Hyundai Inster
If you’re looking to lease a new Hyundai Inster, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
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Subscribe to a Hyundai Inster
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 new Lexus ES saloon range is set to go on sale in the UK early next year with both hybrid and all-electric models to choose from.
Replacing the current petrol-electric hybrid ES saloon range which has been on sale since 2019, this new eighth-generation line-up sports the brand’s latest exterior design language. Somewhat resembling the RX SUV, the saloon has a long bonnet with deep contours, flanked by slim LED headlights and large air intakes on the front bumper.
Sharp protruding lines above the side skirts and on the rear bumper, as well as the near LED tail light bar that stretches across the car’s rear, highlight what Lexus calls a “bold” but “minimalist” approach to design.
Broadly built on the same foundations as the current ES, this new saloon range will include two 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid models – the 201hp ‘300h’ and 247hp ‘350h’, both of which will be available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Lexus adds that it only plans to offer the ‘300h’ in Western Europe at launch, with the ‘350h’ reserved for eastern markets.
Compared to the previous range, Lexus says that it has improved the output of the car’s hybrid battery. Keep in mind that this isn’t a plug-in hybrid model – the petrol engine is aided by a small battery and electric motor which boosts fuel efficiency.
Should you prefer a fully-electric model, the range will also include the battery-powered front-wheel drive ‘350e’ and all-wheel drive ‘500e’. While Lexus is yet to announce the size of the battery, the 224hp ‘350e’ can reportedly muster up to 426 miles on a single charge, while the faster 343hp ‘500e’ can handle a reduced maximum range of 379 miles.
Both electric models are compatible with 150kW DC rapid charging stations, with a 10% to 80% battery top-up taking around 30 minutes.
Inside, the saloon has a 14-inch central infotainment touchscreen that juts out of the dashboard, above ‘hidden tech’ switches that control various functions and only light up when the car is turned on. A 12-inch digital instrument cluster features behind the steering wheel.
Lexus says its goal was to “design a cabin that is exceptionally comfortable and relaxing”, and to that end the rear cabin can be fitted with reclining seats and the front passenger seat can fold forward to increase rear leg room and improve the view.
That sums up what we know about the new Lexus ES so far. More details are to follow closer to the car’s official arrival in Spring next year, including UK pricing and trim specifications. Check back soon!
