Hyundai debuted a high-performance ‘N’ variant of its all-electric Ioniq 6 saloon at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which is slightly quicker off the line than the Ioniq 5 N hatchback.
Designed to “deliver an exhilarating and engaging driving experience”, Hyundai says that this sporty saloon is its most advanced ‘N’ model to date, featuring a redesigned suspension system, improvements to the ‘N e-Shift’ steering wheel paddles that simulate gear shifting, ‘better’ sound quality in the cabin and more horsepower than any of its ‘N’-badged siblings.
Power comes from the same 84kWh battery that powers the Ioniq 5 N, but with a small 9hp boost, delivering 650hp in total. With top speed electronically capped at 160mph, the Ioniq N can reportedly complete a 0-62mph sprint in 3.2 seconds – two tenths quicker than the Ioniq 5 N in the same race.
Hyundai is yet to confirm the single-charge travel distance of this dual-motor high-performance electric car, with that rather important detail “to be announced at market launch” in a few months time. For reference, the dual-motor 77kWh Ioniq 6 that has been on sale since 2022 can muster up to 332 miles without recharging.
Like all of Hyundai’s ‘N’-plated range, the saloon will be offered in the brand’s ‘performance blue pearl’ exterior colour scheme, and ‘N’-branded alloys wrapped in Pirelli tyres that Hyundai says have been exclusively developed for this model.
The car comes with several track-focused tech features, including launch control, a drift optimiser, a ‘Boost’ setting that maximises acceleration for ten seconds and ‘Active Sound +’ which increases the engine soundtrack played in the cabin to provide “greater driver feedback.”
That sums up what we know so far about the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. The car’s UK pricing and official launch date details are sure to follow in the coming months. Check back soon!
The Renault Symbioz is a mid-sized SUV positioned between the smaller Captur and slightly larger Austral in Renault’s line-up.
First arriving in UK showrooms in Summer 2024, the SUV range consists of a mild-hybrid and ‘E-Tech’ petrol-electric hybrid model.
The Symbioz has received generally average scores from the UK motoring media, Ellis Hyde of Auto Express concluding that the Renault is “everything you need a family car to be: comfortable, practical, efficient and well-equipped.”
That said, many reviewers assert that the Symbioz struggles to stand out in a very competitive medium SUV class, as well as Renault’s own crowded SUV model range.
“There are more stylish options on the market”, says Car’s Seth Walton. “Why go for the Symbioz when the bigger and more luxurious Austral exists just up ahead?”
As of July 2025, the Renault Symbioz holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 68%. Beyond the car’s average to very good review scores, this score is bolstered by the car’s four-star Euro NCAP safety credentials and better-than-average running cost estimations. However, its new car warranty and media review scores are only middling.
Body style: Medium SUV Engines:petrol mild-hybrid, petrol-electric hybrid Price:From £27,395 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 Symbioz is a solid addition to Renault’s lineup with seamless technology integration, a smooth drive and functional passenger and boot configurations.”
Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol/electric hybrid Iconic Esprit Alpine
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Renault Symbioz is everything you need a family car to be: comfortable, practical, efficient and well-equipped.” Author: Ellis Hyde Read review
Auto Trader
Score: 8 / 10 “The Renault Symbioz is a compact SUV focused on lots of interior and boot space.” Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Given Renault’s ‘entry point’ claims for the Symbioz, you’d expect it to offer good value for money – and it doesn’t disappoint.” Author: Sean Keywood Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Renault Symbioz is a decent car. It’s comfortable, efficient and incredibly easy to drive, while well-enough equipped so as not to feel cut-rate, despite the low price tag. There are more stylish options on the market, but for the purposes of hauling families around, I reckon the Symbioz is up there with the best. Only trouble is the rest of the Renault line-up… Why go for the Symbioz when the bigger and more luxurious Austral exists just up ahead?” Author: Seth Walton Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “The Renault Symbioz is a welcome addition to the brand’s range as a family SUV offering great value for money.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Ellis Hyde Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Symbioz justifies its existence with competitive pricing and excellent fuel economy from its hybrid powertrain, plus a smart cabin with up-to-date in-car tech.” Author: Antony Ingram Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Strong value, excellent economy, a smart cabin and perfectly acceptable ride and handling make for a capable all-rounder, with just a hint of style.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “As far as family SUVs go, the Symbioz is a cracking effort. A car like this was never going to blow our socks off with nerve-tingling performance, nor knead our senses in decadent luxury. It’s a family car, built for family life – strong, sturdy, comfortable and efficient.” Author: Seth Walton Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Frankly, unless you’re a dedicated diehard of the French brand, or you’ve got a Renault dealership right at the bottom of your street for maximal convenience, we can’t think of a shiningly obvious reason to recommend the Symbioz, even though it’s patently a good little car.” Author: Matt Robinson Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “A reasonable price, good equipment and a lovely interior may not be quite enough to secure sales in this ultra-competitive market.” Author: Alex Robbins Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “The Symbioz is a perfectly fine family runabout, but lacks a little sparkle in an ever-crowded sector.”
Author: Peter Rawlins Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
The Renault Symbioz was awarded a four-star safety rating by Euro NCAP in 2024, falling short of a full five-star assessment. While the SUV’s safety was commended in many areas, Euro NCAP testers note that driver chest protection was weak in the event of a collision.
While the Symbioz is available as a petrol mild-hybrid as standard, this rating only stands for models powered by the ‘E-Tech’ hybrid powertrain.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of July 2025, the Renault Symbioz has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Fuel consumption
Average
Score
Hybrid models
60 mpg
A
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Hybrid models
106 g/km
A
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
22
A
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£231
B
Year 2
£682
C
Year 3
£1,075
C
Year 4
£1,254
B
Year 5
£1,633
B
Overall
£4,875
B
The Renault Symbioz is a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The hybrid model is fuel efficient, returning 60mpg on average, and the car’s insurance premiums are in a lower bracket.
The car’s estimated servicing and maintenance costs might be more expensive than you would expect – predicted to total nearly £4,900 over the course of the first five years of ownership.
Our data suggests that the Nissan Qashqai would be a few hundred pounds cheaper to maintain over the same period.
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 Renault Symbioz 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 Symbioz, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Renault Symbioz
Overall rating
C
56%
New car warranty duration
3 years
New car warranty mileage
60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Renault’s new car warranty is pretty much the bare minimum offered in the UK, with a duration of three years and a limit of 60,000 miles. Other rivals in the price bracket do better (and in some cases, much better).
In addition to the standard new car warranty, the Symbioz ‘E-Tech’ hybrid has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components, which is why it gets a better score than the standard petrol and diesel models.
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 Renault Symbioz. 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 Renault dealer.
Chinese car giant Chery will be entering the UK market under its own name this summer, joining its subsidiary brands, Omoda and Jaecoo.
Marking a significant step in the Chinese manufacturer’s ambitious expansion into the United Kingdom, Chery UK will initially launch with two SUVs. They will be sold through a UK-wide dealer network, expected to be the same 70+ dealers already offering Omoda and Jaecoo.
This announcement follows the successful UK brand launches of Omoda in the autumn of 2024 and Jaecoo in early 2025. Both brands have made significant inroads into the UK market, with a combined market share of about 2%. That puts them ahead of well-known brands like Honda or SEAT, and that’s based on only a couple of models on sale so far.
Chery has been the largest exporter of vehicles from China for more than 20 years, although it has mostly focused on Asian markets rather than Europe. This approach has clearly now changed as it continues the momentum it has built with the successful launches of both Omoda and Jaecoo in the last 12 months.
So far, Chery has announced that the first vehicle it will launch in the UK is a large SUV called the Tiggo 8. However, we expect further news very soon about a second SUV, and there will likely be more to come in short order. In China, Chery owns another half-dozen brands so it has plenty of vehicles available that it can bring to the UK (assuming compliance with EU/UK safety and emissions regulations).
Pricing and specifications for the Chery Tiggo 8 will be announced shortly, and we expect the first cars to arrive in the UK by about September. We’ll bring you more details as soon as we have them.
The all-wheel drive Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid sports car has made its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed today, and the coupé and convertible range is now available to order.
The E-Ray is part of the eighth-generation Corvette line-up that has been on sale in the UK in its ICE-powered V8 ‘Z06’ variety since February. Chevrolet decided to pull the plug on its UK operations over a decade ago, but the American marque is now allowing third party dealerships Lumen Automotive and Arnold Clark to sell right-hand drive Corvette models in limited numbers.
Like the Z06, the Corvette E-Ray is powered by a 482hp V8 petrol engine mounted to the rear axle, but is also powered by a 161hp electric motor mounted in the front. With a combined output of 643hp, the hybrid can reportedly complete a 0-62mph sprint in 2.9 seconds, making it the quickest production Corvette ever to arrive on UK roads.
The E-Ray isn’t a plug-in hybrid – the car’s small 2kW battery recharges automatically through regenerative braking, coasting and everyday driving. It can also travel on electric power alone up to speeds of up to 44mph – a setting Chevrolet calls ‘Stealth mode’.
The manufacturer adds that this coupé and convertible hybrid line-up is nine centimetres wider than the Corvette Stingray and sits on staggered 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tyres. Brembo carbon ceramic brakes also come as standard.
Now available to order in the UK, Pricing for the Corvette E-Ray begins at £153k for the coupé and £159k for the convertible. The first customer orders are scheduled to arrive in September.
The Omoda 9 is a large plug-in hybrid SUV, and the third Omoda model to arrive in UK showrooms.
The Omoda 9 arrived in the UK in the summer of 2025. It has been on sale in China for a couple of years already, where it is known as the Exeed Yaoguang, and in some other Asian markets where it is called the Exeed RX. Here in Europe, it is offered under the Omoda brand (both brands are part of the giant Chery Automobile company).
Omoda calls its advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain SHS (super hybrid system), and it provides very good battery range compared to most conventional plug-in hybrid systems from other manufacturers.
The powertrain consists of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with a 34kWh battery and two electric motors. This gives a power output of about 450hp and an official (UK/EU lab test) battery range of better than 90 miles.
Initial reviews of the Omoda 9 have been mixed. Media titles have praised the car’s sharp pricing and generous equipment levels, while also noting that the Omoda offers a seven-year new car warranty. However, its driving dynamics have not received the same compliments, with journalists criticising its ride and handling balance – Top Gear’s Joe Holding described the driving experience as “forgettable”. The interior also looks sumptuous but some material qualities don’t match the best in the market.
Our own editor at The Car Expert, Stuart Masson, summarised the Omoda 9 as “… a spacious and well-equipped plug-in hybrid SUV, with excellent electric range and plenty of performance, although it lacks the last degree of refinement that premium rivals offer.”
As of December 2025, the Omoda 9 holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%. It scores top marks for a top five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, low CO2 emissions, and Omoda’s excellent new car warranty offering. However, its running costs are poor (hampered by a high insurance group rating) and its early media review scores have also been sub-par.
Body style: Large SUV Engines:plug-in hybrid Price:From £44,990 on-road
Launched: Spring 2025 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 Omoda 9 is a spacious and well-equipped plug-in hybrid SUV, with excellent electric range and plenty of performance, although it lacks the last degree of refinement that premium rivals offer.”
Score: 8 / 10 “The Omoda 9 is a good-value family car that takes aim at models costing quite a bit more. Its badge may prove one challenge too far for those used to shopping for Volvos or Range Rovers, but mainstream buyers who want extra kit or more space could do a lot worse than giving the Chinese newcomer their attention. It’s no sports car, but the clever powertrain and comfortable ride make it a solid cruiser, plus its long EV range has the potential to cut costs for private buyers and company-car drivers alike.” Author: Richard Ingram Read review
Auto Trader
Score: 6 / 10 “The budget Chinese SUV that thinks it’s a Range Rover, the Omoda 9 packs tech galore and a clever hybrid system into a punchy price.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Noble Score: 7 / 10 “The Omoda 9 appeals again because of its affordability, long warranty, and high equipment levels. However, although a much better car than the Omoda 5, it’s still hard to recommend compared to established rivals available at a similar price.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “This is easily Omoda’s best effort yet, proving better to drive and plusher than either the 5 or E5 SUV. Chery’s Super Hybrid System really is the star of the show, combining strong performance with an exceedingly useful electric only range, good efficiency without plugging in and smooth operation almost all of the time. Usefully big and keenly priced it may be, but its clumsiness over surface imperfections and lumbering handling make it feel less well sorted than key rivals.” Author: Curtis Moldrich, ALan Taylor-Jones Read review
Electrifying.com
Score: 7 / 10 “The Omoda 9 plug-in hybrid showcases some seriously impressive tech that should have established European brands worried. That huge electric range is a compelling reason to opt for it over other alternatives, and it’s also a rather lavish-feeling car for the money. Alternatives like the Kia Sportage and Skoda Kodiaq PHEVs will still make more sense for most retail buyers. but the Omoda 9 is a good car with some class-leading powertrain tech.” Author: Vicky Parrott Read review
Heycar
Score: 7 / 10 “Luxury SUV on a budget.” Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview “As there’s just a single Omonda 9 SHS derivative, it’s brimming with equipment and technology designed to impress and cosset in equal measure.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6.6 / 10 “While not the most polished plug-in hybrid SUV, the Omoda 9 offers an awful lot more for the money than the equivalent Volkswagen Tayron or Skoda Kodiaq.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “It impresses for its quality, space, kit count and the efficiency from the plug-in hybrid powertrain. But I found the driving position a bit odd, the ride comfort was poor, some of the tech not especially intuitive and the brakes annoyingly difficult to get used to.” Author: Steve Fowler Read review
Top Gear
Score: 6 / 10 “The Omoda 9 is a steady effort with headline-grabbing e-range. But is all that tech enough to make you put up with the forgettable drive?” Author: Joe Holding Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
The Omoda 9 scores very highly in Euro NCAP testing, with impressive scores across the board. However, many reviewers have criticised the overly intrusive driver assistance warnings during the UK media launch. Hopefully, Omoda can rectify this via an over-the-air update soon.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of December 2025, the Omoda 9 has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Fuel consumption
Average
Score
Plug-in hybrid models
202 mpg
A
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Plug-in hybrid models
38 g/km
A
Battery range
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Plug-in hybrid models
93 miles
C
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
47
E
The Omoda 9 has a mixed bag of running costs, based on initial data available at the car’s UK launch.
Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions inevitably look good, as the official EU/UK government lab tests are woefully inadequate for assessing plug-in hybrids. However, the battery range on the Omoda 9 is excellent, which means that many owners will be able to spend most of their driving using purely electric power. If you have the ability to charge at home, this will mean your fuel costs could be negligible.
The insurance group rating is very high, which is likely to mean fairly hefty insurance premiums for many drivers, and we don’t yet have servicing costs available. As soon as we have them, they’ll be published here.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of December 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Omoda 9 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 Omoda 9, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Omoda 9
Overall rating
A
98%
New car warranty duration
7 years
New car warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Omoda’s new car warranty is one of the best in the business, and better than almost all rival brands in a similar price bracket as the Omoda 9.
The duration is seven years, with a limit of 100,000 miles. In addition to the standard new car warranty, there is an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
Warranty on a used Omoda 9
As of November 2025, any used Omoda 9 should still be covered by its new car warranty. The first models only arrived in the UK in the summer of 2025, meaning those cars will still be under warranty until 2032 or until they reach their 100,000-mile limit, whichever comes first.
If you’re looking to buy any 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 December 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Omoda 9. 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 Omoda dealer.
In recent years it has been easy to forget that Fiat is one of the very biggest names in motoring – the Italian automotive brand was once the biggest in Europe and part of a massive conglomerate that even extended to owning an airline.
While widely regarded as the Italian state manufacturer, in true Italian style for much of its life Fiat was headed by one family. When the company was founded in 1899, Giovanelli Agnelli took the lead role, and – apart from a 20-year hiatus directly after the second world war – the Agnellis controlled Fiat until 1996, when Giovanelli’s grandson Gianni retired. Evn today, a scion of the Agnelli family is still the chairman of the parent company that owns Fiat.
For much of this period, Fiat was renowned for its product – the company has won the coveted European Car of the Year Trophy more times than any other manufacturer, with nine awards. However, the most recent was back in 2008 with the Fiat 500, with nothing since.
More recent times have been tougher for Fiat, with an enforced reliance on the sales of its small cars. Today, the brand is at a crossroads, but with hopes of a brighter future as part of the automotive giant that is Stellantis.
Fiat’s story began in the final months of the 19th century, founded by four entrepreneurs in July 1899 as ‘Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino’ (Italian car manufacturing company of Turin). Its first production plant opened a year later with 24 examples made of the first model, the 4 HP.
One of those four entrepreneurs was Giovanelli Agnelli, who would lead the company until he died in 1945. He started in style – by 1903, Fiat was making a profit and, just three years later, it became a public company.
By now, trucks were also being produced and, in 1908, the first Fiats were exported to America, with a factory opened in New York two years later. Americans regarded Fiats as very upmarket cars – in 1908, you could buy a Ford Model T for $825, whereas a Fiat would cost you $4,000.
Fiat quickly expanded its activities and in the first world war made military equipment for the Allied forces before resuming car production. The Lingotto factory, opened in 1923, was the largest in Europe and benefited from Fiat’s experience in the US, being the first of the company’s plants to use assembly lines.
In the second world war, Fiat found itself on the Axis side, building military equipment for Italian and German forces, including aircraft. When Italian leader Benito Mussolini was overthrown in 1943, the new Italian leadership removed the Agnelli family from their roles at Fiat, arguing that the company had been too closely associated with the Mussolini regime. Not until 1963 did the Agnellis return, and Gianni Agnelli, grandson of the company founder, led the company until 1996.
Agnelli reorganised Fiat, separating the car and commercial vehicle production. By 1968, the brand was widely regarded as the most successful car manufacturer in Europe, outshining even Volkswagen.
1960 Fiat 500 D2020 Fiat 500
In 1969, Fiat took controlling stakes in Ferrari and Lancia and by 1970 was building more than 1.4 million cars in six Italian plants, as well as operating factories throughout the world. The company had interests in a range of industries, even owning the Italian national airline Alitalia.
The 1970s and ’80s brought more challenges, including two oil crises and the growing challenge from Japanese manufacturers, while Fiat also suffered from a reputation for corrosion issues. The various divisions were all spun off into separate companies in 1979, the car manufacturer becoming Fiat Auto. In 1986, it took over Alfa Romeo, which had previously been owned by the Italian government, and Maserati was acquired in 1992.
Fiat was by now suffering from a sliding market share, particularly in Italy, until Sergio Marchionne, appointed CEO in 2004, reversed the decline. A new Grande Punto model proved highly popular and in 2005 Fiat made its first profit in five years.
The losses soon returned, however, and in 2014 Marchionne dropped the Grand Punto to focus on what he described as ‘cool’ vehicles like the Fiat 500 and the Panda. By now, the company was Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the Italian company’s 20% stake in US giant Chrysler rescuing it from bankruptcy in 2009, and Fiat took full control in 2014. Two years later, Ferrari was spun off from the new group.
In more recent times, Fiat’s biggest issue became a struggle to keep up with ever-increasing safety legislation, forcing the brand down the road of marketing small cars that lacked the latest driver aids offered in some rival cars. The key to breaking out of this cycle came in 2019, when FCA merged with the French PSA Group, owner of Peugeot and Citroën, to become part of what we now know today as the multi-brand conglomerate Stellantis.
What models does Fiat have and what else is coming?
Fiat’s journey to electrification has seen a savage cutting of its model range. The 500X, Panda and Tipo were all pensioned off in 2024 and, as of July 2025, there are just three models currently available, of which only one has an engine, the perennially popular Fiat 500. This is now positively geriatric in automotive terms, and will be replaced by an all-new model later this year.
The 500 was launched in 2007, Fiat referencing the route taken by BMW with the Mini by directly evoking the classic Fiat Cinquenceto of the 1950s. And unlike many of the Mini challengers, the strategy worked – the 500 has to a great extent sold on its lifestyle image, which has been boosted by countless limited edition models.
The car underwent a major update in 2015 and is today only available with a mild hybrid engine as a cheaper alternative to the electric 500. There is also a more potent 500 sold by Fiat spin-off Abarth.
Unfortunately, the 500 only merits a New Car Expert Rating of E in The Car Expert’s Expert Rating index, due mainly to a lack of comfort and an outdated safety specification. In contrast its much newer electric sister the 500 Electric – or ‘500e’ – earns a New Car Expert Rating of A, despite still offering only an average level of advanced safety aids.
On sale since 2021, the 500e is not simply a 500 with a motor instead of an engine, being slightly larger and available in both hard top and cabriolet form. Reviews have praised the 500e’s on-the-road performance and much-improved interior quality. This model will form the basis for the new petrol-powered 500 due later this year.
The 600e arrived in 2023 as effectively a larger compact SUV sister to the 500e and styled in similar fashion. Underneath that styling the car shares its hardware with the Jeep Avenger from within the Stellantis family.
The 600e has received mixed reviews, marked up for its style but down for its cramped interior and driving experience outshone by many rivals. As of July 2025, it holds a New Car Expert Rating of B.
The Fiat Panda was dropped in 2024 as on its way to showrooms is a new Grande Panda, in both electric and hybrid variants. This car is causing quite a lot of excitement, especially as its price of around £21,000 makes it a very competitive electric vehicle. Some observers believe it will render the 600e redundant.
Reports suggest Fiat will dramatically expand its model line-up in the next few years, making the most of the hardware-sharing now available to it as part of Stellantis. By 2030 the range will include all-new versions of the 500 and the Panda, along with two new mid-sized models, details of which are yet to be revealed.
Where can I try a Fiat car?
Fiat has around 80 dealerships across the UK, which is significantly less than before the brand became part of Stellantis, when it had around 125 outlets.
The dealer network is well spread across the UK, even those based in the north of Scotland not having too far to travel to try out a Fiat.
What makes Fiat different to the rest?
Fiat has always traded on that image of style that attaches itself to anything Italian. While the brand has had issues with its average safety features and at times reliability, its cars generally look good, especially inside.
Applied in more recent times to small cars, the image has survived into the electric age with some of the 500e’s best scores being for its style.
A Fiat fact to impress your friends
Fiat once had one of the world’s most famous factories, because it had a test track on its roof. When opened in 1923 after seven years of construction, Lingotto in Turin was one of the largest car plants in the world, but was most renowned for its production line that started on the ground and wound its way up five floors.
Finished cars emerged onto the mile-long rooftop test track, with banked corners on either end, before descending a spiral to ground level to go on sale. Immortalised in the movie The Italian Job, Lingotto built its last car in 1982, and now houses Fiat offices and a posh hotel.
Summary
Fiat has had it tough in recent times, relying on small car sales and becoming a less significant manufacturer as a result. Now under the wing of Stellantis, the brand has a chance to reset itself for a new electric age and to perhaps regain some of its past glories.
Aston Martin has revealed its new Vantage S – the most performance-focused in the Aston Martin Vantage sports car range.
With the hugely upgraded Vantage already representing a giant leap forward over the previous (2018 to 2024) version, the new Vantage S builds on that upgrade with increased power and even greater dynamic prowess.
Following the recently announced DBX S, the Vantage S is the latest model in Aston Martin’s two-decade tradition of applying the ‘S’ suffix to higher-performance versions of its models.
This began with the Vanquish S, which made its public debut at the Paris motor show in 2004, followed by the smaller V8 and V12 Vantage S models launched in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Central to the Vantage S is an upgraded version of Aston Martin’s 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, which is supplied to the British sports car company by Mercedes-AMG. This now boasts 680hp at 6,000rpm, with its peak torque of 800Nm delivered between 3,000 and 6,000rpm to provide immediate in-gear response.
Further enhancing driver engagement and performance feel, Aston Martin claims its engineers have improved the throttle pedal weight and response to align with what it considers to be ‘S’ characteristics.
Calibration changes have also been made to the powertrain, with optimisation of the launch control system resulting in a fractional improvement in 0-60mph time, which is now just 3.3 seconds. The 0-124mph mark is reached in just over ten seconds. Top speed remains unchanged at 202mph, although few owners are likely to see that.
Compared to the previous generation, the latest Vantage S also benefits from a number of detail changes made to the suspension hardware, powertrain mounts and control software across the Vantage range. These are claimed to bring greater agility along with improvements in feel, driver engagement and composure.
At the front, the new Vantage S is identified by two new ‘blades’ in the bonnet’s hot air vents. These are finished in gloss black, although you can option them to be made from carbon fibre instead. At the rear, a small decklid spoiler is another subtle indicator of the marques sharpened performance focus.
There are discreet ‘S’ signature badges on the lower front wings. These hand-made, brass-forged badges are infilled in red glass enamel, with the surround plated in either bright or dark chrome to match the colour of the Aston Martin wings specified by the customer.
Inside, customers can choose either a red or silver anodised finish to the knurled metal drive mode rotary control. This is colour-matched to the seatbelt, contrast welt, contrast stitch and headrest embroidery.
For customers wishing more luxury, the interior is available with either full semi-aniline leather or a combination of leather and Alcantara, with a range of monotone and duotone options. Diminishing chevron quilting, surrounded by perforations, are a further cabin highlight.
The Aston Martin Vantage S is available to order now, with first deliveries expected in the last few months of the year. Aston Martin has yet to announce pricing, but it should be a chunky increase over the standard Vantage that you no longer want…
Three more Chinese car brands have announced plans to start selling cars in the UK over the last week, joining a host of brands from China that have already arrived in the last 12-18 months.
Geely, Chery and Denza are the new names, and they all have connections to Chinese and/or European brands already selling cars in the UK. They are all expected to reveal more information about their plans at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with some of their new cars on display and in action.
Chery is the parent company of Omoda and Jaecoo, which have both arrived here in the last 12 months and are already making waves in the new car market. Now parent company Chery Automobile is planning a UK launch with a range of models under its own name. In China, Chery also owns a host of other brands, so it has a wide choice of potential models available to bring to the UK market.
Geely is the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, Lotus and LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company, formerly the London Taxi Company), and a stakeholder in Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Renault and others. It’s also launching here later this year under its own name, with its first model set to be (unsurprisingly) a mid-sized electric SUV.
Denza is the premium sister brand to BYD, the highest-profile of the Chinese car brands that have landed on these shores in the last couple of years. It is believed to be planning a range of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, including a Porsche Taycan-style estate, an SUV and a people carrier.
Denza B5
Geely EX5
Denza Z9 GT
Denza D9
More on the way
These three names are not going to be the last new Chinese arrivals in the UK, with more brands on the horizon and currently working out their plans.
Deepal, one of several brands owned by parent company Changan, has previously indicated that it is working on a September launch for its first UK-bound model (shockingly, another mid-sized electric SUV…), while brands like Zeekr and Lynk&Co (who both offer a range of small-to-medium electric SUVs) are currently operating in left-hand drive European markets and are expected to launch in the UK in the next year or two.
There are other brands whose plans have bounced around for a while but look likely to land at some point – Aiways, Firefly, Nio, and more.
A few Chinese brands have already arrived and are yet to make a significant impact, but have further models in the wings. These include GWM, Maxus (already established with its van range), Skywell and Xpeng.
Finally, there are even more brands that have yet to announce plans but are known to be working on UK expansions – Chery is believed to be evaluating at least one more brand from its Chinese family to add to its UK portfolio, while BYD has previously shown models from another of its luxury brands, Yangwang, at last year’s Goodwood Festial of Speed.
Most people buying a used car will be taking out finance of some kind to pay for it, but there are plenty of options available in used car finance that make it worth shopping around rather than taking whatever a car dealer offers you.
With interest rates soaring, it’s more important than ever to make sure that you’re getting the best deal available when you’re taking out car finance. If you’re buying a used car from a franchised main dealership, they will usually steer you towards the car manufacturer’s own finance company when offering you a finance quote. But that’s mainly because it’s better for them, rather than for you – always bear in mind that car dealers get sales commission for selling you car finance, as well as for selling you a car.
Very few people even question whether the dealer’s finance offer is competitive, and only start looking around for alternatives if they are turned down for finance at the dealership. But when it comes to used cars, the manufacturer finance companies don’t usually offer any significant advantage. So if you’re looking to buy a used car, it absolutely pays to shop around for the best finance offer you can find.
Many independent finance brokers also specialise in bad credit car finance, for customers who struggle to be accepted by the car manufacturers’ own finance companies.
When taking out finance on a used car, the interest rate you pay on the money you’re borrowing will depend on several factors, like how much you’re borrowing and over how long, but a key factor is your credit history. If you have an excellent credit history, you might only pay less than 10% APR. But if your credit history is poor, you could easily be paying more than 20%.
The sites below all list a ‘Representative APR’ number, which is what they expect at least 51% of customers to be offered. A higher Representative APR on a site usually means they help a larger number of sub-prime (bad credit) car finance applications, while a lower Representative APR often means they concentrate more on prime (good credit) customers.
So here’s our current list of some of the best sites for used car finance. These are mostly credit brokers, rather than lenders, which means they will find you the best deal available from the lenders who actually lend you the money.
The list of companies below isn’t ranked – they all provide a high level of service and are worthy of consideration. They’re simply sorted by those who are commercial partners of The Car Expert (the ones with an asterisk next to their name, which means that we may get a small commission if you click through to their website) and those who are not. This doesn’t affect the deals you are offered or the price you pay on any of the sites.
Creditplus is a Bournemouth-based car finance broker, offering both personal contract purchase (PCP) and hire purchase (HP) solutions for new and used cars, as well as leasing for both new and nearly-new vehicles.
The company claims to have more than 100 lenders in its network, which should mean you get a competitive offering on a used car. Creditplus can also hook you up directly with your chosen vehicle from a local dealer.
There’s a calculator to give you a quick idea of how your monthly payment changes depending on your credit rating, term or amount borrowed – although always remember that the terms you are ultimately offered will depend on your particular circumstances.
Essex-based We Finance Any Car is one of the best-known used car finance brokers around, catering for HP and PCP options. It offers a ‘Beat the Dealer’ feature, as well as a car finance calculator. The calculator should be taken as a guide rather than gospel, but it does give you an idea of how your monthly payment changes depending on your credit rating, term or amount borrowed.
With a Trustpilot score of 4.9 based on more than 200 reviews, We Finance Any Car is highly rated by its customers.
CarFinance 247 claims to be the UK’s leading online car finance platform, with more than 500 people operating from the company’s head office in Manchester. You can use their finance services to help pay for a car you’ve already found, or browse their site for a choice of thousands of used cars from partner dealerships.
There’s plenty of useful guides and other information to help you understand how finance works and the different types of finance products available, as well as a calculator to help you estimate what your monthly payments might be on any agreement.
Carmoola stands out from the other car finance sites with its bold pink colour theme and super-clean website design.
The site is simple and clear, with helpful guides, calculators and other information. Like most used car finance brokers, Carmoola specialises in hire purchase (HP) finance, although it is also launching personal contract purchase (PCP) finance – which is generally the type of finance product you’ll end up with if you’re financing through a car dealer.
The site also offers a ‘depreciation index’ that suggests which cars (and car types) are the best and worst at retaining their value over time, but we’d take that information with a large grain of salt as depreciation is a complex issue.
Quick Car Finance is another finance broker that offers hire purchase finance to all sorts of car buyers, with particular attention to sub-prime customers.
The site is boldly coloured but easy to navigate, including a car finance calculator that allows you to get an idea of either how much you can borrow or what your monthly payments are likely to be, depending on your financial situation.
The company also offers finance for motorbike or van buyers, so it’s not just limited to family vehicles.
All you need to do is complete the application form and you’ll see a list of offers, so you can choose whichever one suits you best.
With a cheery-sounding name, Happy Motor Finance has finance options for almost every type of customer on almost any type of vehicle.
The site is cleanly laid out and easy to understand, with a handy car finance calculator on the home page that gives you a quick idea of what your monthly payments would be on any borrowing, with comparative payments for different credit levels.
The process is clearly explained so you know how everything will work. You fill in the application form and you’ll get a list of offers from Happy’s panel of lenders. You then select the best deal for your needs.
You might have seen the familiar Zuto logo on Auto Trader, which is because it’s the site’s preferred finance partner. It also has a Trustpilot customer review score of 4.6 from more than 11,000 reviews, which suggests that the vast majority of customers are happy with the service they receive.
Zuto’s site has plenty of good explanatory content that explains the different requirements for differing circumstances. The site is quite clear that it only works with what it calls ‘verified dealers’ that meet its requirements. That may limit your choice of car somewhat, but it increases the chances of the whole experience running smoothly and without any dramas before, during or after your car purchase.
Founded in 2016, Oodle claims to have helped more than 150,000 customers buy a car. It works with more than 300 dealers across the UK, and has a digital wallet set-up called OodlePay. So once you’ve been approved for finance, you can visit one of those 300 dealers and buy a car on the spot.
If you want a particular car that’s from a dealer outside the company’s network, you can get in touch and they’ll give the dealer a once-over to make sure they’re legitimate. Assuming that’s all good, you can then proceed.
Unlike most other used car finance sites, Oodle doesn’t actively promote bad credit car finance all across their site. Their relatively low Representative APR of 14.7% also suggests that they don’t work with as many sub-prime customers as other sites on this list.
My Car Credit is part of Evolution Funding, which claims to be the UK’s largest motor finance credit broker. The Representative APR is the lowest on this list – that doesn’t mean you’re likely to be offered a lower interest rate on your loan, but it suggests that My Car Credit doesn’t do a lot of bad credit car finance.
The loan calculator on the site gives a clear indication of a typical interest rate for different credit ratings, from 9.9% APR for ‘excellent’ to 29.9% APR for ‘bad’. As always, this is just an indication and you may be offered a rate that is higher or lower depending on your specific circumstances.
Match Me Car Finance has a very clean and simple website with all the relevant information clearly visible on the front page. Like most sites here, there is a page of largely pointless blog articles that have nothing to do with car finance, but at least they’re hidden away out of sight…
The Representative APR information is clearly stated upfront, which is nice. There’s not a lot of explanation of different finance products or options, with only a minor mention of hire purchase.
Choose My Car shows you a range of cars from their affiliated dealerships that fit into your monthly budget. The site’s homepage is well laid out and has improved massively since the last time we checked – it was previously a word salad of car finance terms, but is now much better in explaining what the company offers and how it all works.
There’s also a good FAQ section with helpful information, which has thankfully been brought onto the homepage rather than hidden away in a sub-menu where it used to be. It’s almost like Choose My Car read our previous analysis and sharpened up their website accordingly…
Motorly has a clear and easy-to-read site that explains everything quite well. Our main criticism is that it has more than 60 unnecessary duplicate pages for “Car Finance in [your region here]” that are all identical apart from the name of the city (“Car Finance in Glasgow” is – unsurprisingly – exactly the same as “Car Finance in Birmingham” apart from the names of the cities). Similarly, there are 40 duplicate pages for “Used [car brand name] car finance”. This is 2025, guys, and Google doesn’t work like that anymore…
Like all the providers on this page, Motorly can find you a finance deal from its panel of lenders and offers a choice of HP, PCP and personal loans.
This article was originally published in March 2022. Last updated July 2025.
The Car Expert has commercial partnerships with Car Finance 247, Carmoola, Creditplus, Quick Car Finance and We Finance Any Car. If you click through to their websites, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.
The Kia EV5 is a mid-size electric SUV introduced to the UK market in late 2025. It sits between the smaller Kia EV3 and larger Kia EV9 in the brand’s electric range, offering a spacious interior with ample rear passenger and more cargo space than its smaller sibling.
Built on the same platform as the EV3, the EV5 delivers around 330 miles of official range from its 81 kWh battery and launches with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel-drive variants expected shortly. A higher-performance EV5 GT model is also likely to arrive before the end of 2026.
Safety performance is a highlight: the EV5 achieved a full five-star Euro NCAP rating, with strong scores for adult and child protection.
In the Eco category, its zero tailpipe emissions deliver an A-grade score, while warranty coverage also rates highly thanks to Kia’s standard multi-year protection.
Running costs score above average, although comprehensive long-term servicing and maintenance data is not yet available. Because the EV5 is brand new, reliability data from service networks is not yet sufficient to form a score.
Early media reviews describe the EV5 as a practical and comfortable family SUV with spacious accommodation and sensible packaging, though not class-leading in range or charging speed compared with some rivals.
As of February 2026, the EV5 holds a New Car Expert Rating A, with a score of 79%. The score reflects strong performance in safety, environmental credentials and warranty cover, alongside solid early media reviews. As long-term data becomes available, the reliability picture will become clearer.
Stuart’s view:
“The Kia EV5 makes a strong case. Kia’s recent electric models — including the EV3, EV6 and EV9 — are multiple award winners at The Car Expert, and have been widely praised for their practicality, usability and overall polish, which bodes well for this new addition to the family. However, this is a highly competitive market. Some rivals offer faster charging speeds or slightly longer range, so the EV5’s appeal is likely to lie in its balanced ownership proposition, including value, equipment levels and Kia’s strong warranty.”
Body style: Mid-sized SUV Engines:electric, front-wheel drive Price:From £39,345
UK launch: Winter 2025/26
Image gallery
Media reviews
Featured reviews
“In an increasingly competitive family electric SUV marketplace, the Kia EV5 is a very good choice. With the added reassurance of Kia’s seven-year warranty, it becomes quite compelling.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “Like the Sportage, the Kia EV5 is a thoroughly sensible family car that understandably prioritises comfort and stability over driving thrills. Well calibrated controls mean this is still a satisfying steer, and the range is certainly competitive based on our experiences.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Kia EV5 has a smart cabin with loads of storage inside, but it can’t charge as fast as some of the brand’s other electric cars.” Author: Darren Cassey Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Kia EV5 is just a great all-round package. It doesn’t feel radical, and it’s very much an evolution of the tech and styling that we’re now really familiar. It is a bit of a shame that the EV5 doesn’t get the 800V ultra-rapid charging that the EV6 has. But the EV5 is still exactly what many buyers will be looking for in an electric family SUV; confident dynamics, spacious interior, kerbside appeal and plenty of tech and comfort. All at a really decent price.” Author: Ginny Buckley Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Kia EV5 has imposing EV9-inspired styling, shrunken to fit a more affordable package, along with decent driving range and performance balance. Inside, you’ll find a slick, well-equipped and spacious interior. But it needs to feel like substantially more car for the money than the excellent EV3.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.4 / 10 “If you can stomach a starting price higher than many rival models, then there are plenty of very good reasons to buy the Kia EV5. Few other family SUVs in this class can beat it for comfort, and the driving experience has far more polish than most of the Chinese alternatives that have been flooding the market recently. Equipment levels are generous, and then there’s the space.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
The Independent
Score: 9 / 10 “Think of the Kia EV5 as an all-electric Kia Sportage that sits in Kia’s ginormous EV line-up alongside the EV3, EV4, EV6 and EV9.” Author: Steve Fowler Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Kia EV5 ticks all electric family SUV boxes. Just don’t expect any more than that.” Author: Peter Rawlins Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
As of February 2026, the Kia EV5 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 EV5 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
318 miles
A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
3.6 m/KWh
D
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
41
D
As of February 2026, we don’t have five-year servicing and maintenance costs for the Kia EV5.
Although it’s not the most efficient electric car, nor the cheapest to insure, it should still be cheaper to own and run than a similarly sized petrol or diesel car if you can do most of your charging at home or work. If you do most of your charging at public chargers, however, it won’t be as attractive.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
The Kia EV5 is a brand-new 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 EV5, we’ll publish the results here.
The medium electric SUV segment is growing rapidly, with a host of new models recently launched or coming soon to the UK. Almost every major car brand either has a shiny new model available or has one on its way.
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a Kia EV5
If you’re looking to lease a new Kia EV5, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Kia EV5
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 Ford Puma Gen-E is the electric version of the UK’s best-selling Ford Puma small SUV. It arrived in showrooms in spring 2025 as part of Ford’s push to expand its electric line-up, building on a model that has dominated UK sales charts in petrol form.
The Ford Puma Gen-E retains the same basic body and practicality as the petrol Puma, including the clever underfloor MegaBox storage area. It offers compact dimensions suited to urban driving, along with competitive pricing compared with many electric rivals.
Early UK media reviews describe the Ford Puma Gen-E as sensible and easy to live with, rather than especially exciting. Ride comfort and everyday usability are generally well regarded, but performance and electric driving range are seen as adequate rather than class-leading. It does not set new standards in its segment, but it covers the basics competently.
For existing Ford owners considering a move to electric power, the Puma Gen-E offers a familiar driving position and practicality, although its range and performance are less distinctive than the petrol model’s driving appeal.
In the Expert Rating Index, the Ford Puma Gen-E scores very highly for zero tailpipe emissions and projected running costs. However, media review scores have been weaker than expected for a Ford model, and warranty cover is only average by current standards. Safety scores are also mid-table.
As of February 2026, the Ford Puma Gen-E holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 69%. Excellent eco and running cost scores support the overall result, while modest media reception, average safety performance and average warranty cover temper the final grade.
“The Ford Puma Gen-E brings an electric powertrain to a familiar, practical body – it’s good to drive and has a huge boot, but efficiency and range really suffer on the motorway.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Switching from petrol to electric drive hasn’t really harmed the Ford Puma driving experience, and the Gen-E is still one of the most entertaining small SUVs to drive. It’ss still a little cramped in the back, but the vast boot has been made even more useful with enlarged under-floor storage. Prices are competitive, too, so the Ford Puma Gen-E deserves to be a big-seller.” Author: Dean Gibson Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “In the Puma Gen-E, Ford has done an electric car that makes a lot of sense. It’s not especially cutting-edge, nor does it have the best battery range. But by shoehorning an electric motor into the existing Puma, pricing it keenly, giving it a massive waterproof box under the boot, and partnering up with electricity providers to make it easy to live with, it’s an appealing zero-emissions runabout.” Author: Mark Nichol Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Ford deserves praise for managing to translate the Puma’s keen drive to EV power, with credible efficiency, and unaltered practicality. Efficient to drive around town, it’s the Gen-E’s small battery that is its biggest issue. Drive this Ford on faster roads or motorways, and the range drops massively, making rivals with longer ranges a better bet.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “The Ford Puma Gen-E will go down well with the thousands of Puma and Fiesta buyers on a return PCP agreement wanting to dabble in the world of EVs with a product they know and feel comfortable with. But far better options are available elsewhere for not a lot more money – those with longer ranges and far better interiors. The Puma’s cabin alone would make me want to look in the direction of a Skoda Elroq.” Author: Ted Welford Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7.6 / 10 “The electric Ford Puma Gen-E builds on everything we like about the standard Puma, but it feels a bit late to the EV party.” Author: Charlie Harvey, Alastair Crooks Read review
Daily Mail
Model reviewed: Range overview “The Ford Puma Gen-E is an EV with spirit. I could even go so far as to say it’s a bit of a ‘driver’s’ small electric car, which could make it a genuine rival to the Renault 5 E-Tech.” Author: Freda Lewis-Stempel Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “Ford couldn’t go too far wrong by making an electric Puma. The Puma Gen-E keeps many of the best-selling petrol Puma’s virtues, while bolstering Ford’s EV range. However, by starting with an already ageing platform, there’s been a limit to how big a battery Ford could squeeze in, and the range figures and recharging abilities are only just competitive for its price and size.” Author: Antony Ingram Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “I think the Puma Gen-E is just what Ford needs – a sensible, versatile, efficient small electric car that people feel familiar with.” Author: Ginny Buckley Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Premium Standard Range Score: 8 / 10 “The Ford Puma Gen-E is an electric version of the brand’s best-selling petrol model; it may not have a bespoke EV platform, but it does offer a sporty driving experience.” Author: Paul Clarke Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “In most regards the Ford Puma Gen-E is exactly what you’d expect it to be — a fully electric version of the combustion-engined Puma. It shares similarly engaging handling, the firm but not harsh ride quality, generous levels of equipment and cleverly space-efficient touches.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6.2 / 10 “If you’re an existing Ford owner looking to make the step across into something electric, we think you’ll like the Puma Gen-E. But we don’t rate it as one of the best small electric SUVs. Its interior massively lets the side down and, though it’s very efficient, the on-paper electric range means it’ll be easily overlooked next to more impressive and rounded rivals, principally the excellent Kia EV3.” Author: Ted Welford Read review
The Independent
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “A safe electric transition for Puma fans, the Gen-E has familiar appeal and lots of storage, though the battery’s range feels a step behind the best EV rivals.” Author: Steve Hogarty Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “Typically Ford, the Puma Gen-E doesn’t bring much that’s new to the small EV class. But if the technology is well known, the car appears expertly calibrated and you can bet that it will be brilliantly marketed.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “By rights an EV cobbled together like this one ought to be rubbish. The fact that it isn’t is testament to the rescue effort Ford’s engineers have pulled off.” Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
The Ford Puma Gen-E shares its safety rating with the petrol-powered Puma. This is not always the case for electric models, as there are substantial differences between EVs and petrol vehicles due to the removal of the engine/gearbox/petrol tank/exhaust and addition of electric motor/battery/inverter.
The petrol Ford Puma was tested in late 2022 and awarded a four-star safety rating, and Euro NCAP announced in July 2025 that this rating had been extended to the Puma Gen-E after conducting some additional tests.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of February 2026, the Ford Puma Gen-E 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 Puma Gen-E 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
230 miles
C
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
4.6 m/KWh
A
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
19
A
The Ford Puma has an efficient drive system, which means your electricity costs should be quite low. Its insurance group is very competitive as well, so your car insurance premiums shouldn’t be too painful.
We don’t yet have official servicing costs from Ford so we’ll add these as soon as they’re available, but Ford is generally quite good in this area as well.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Ford Puma Gen-E
Overall rating
C
50%
New car warranty duration
3 years
New car warranty mileage
60,000 miles
Battery warranty duration
8 years
Battery warranty mileage
100,000 miles
Ford’s new car warranty is pretty much the bare minimum offered in the UK, with a duration of three years and a limit of 60,000 miles. Other rivals in the price bracket do better (and in some cases, much better).
In addition to the standard new car warranty, there is an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
Warranty on a used Ford Puma Gen-E
As of February 2026, the Puma Gen-E is still a very new model, so all cars will be covered by their new car warranty. The first Puma Gen-Es hit UK roads in early 2025, meaning their warranties will be valid until at least early 2028 (unless they hit the 60,000-mile limit before then).
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.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of February 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Ford Puma Gen-E 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 Puma Gen-E, we’ll publish the results here.
As of February 2026, we’re not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Ford Puma Gen-E. 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 Ford dealer.
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a Ford Puma Gen-E
If you’re looking to lease a new Ford Puma Gen-E, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Ford Puma Gen-E
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?)
Plenty of people want or need to sell their car quickly. It may be that they urgently need some extra cash, or it may be that they can’t stand the idea of a long and drawn-out process of haggling with strangers over a few hundred quid to reach a deal.
We have good news. Like pretty much everything else in today’s online and connected world – reserving tickets, booking a restaurant, arranging travel – selling your car can be done quickly and easily, without hassle or haggle.
Car selling of the past would offer you two or three unappealing choices: take your pride and joy to a local car dealer, who would try to get you to use it as a ‘part exchange’ (also known as a ‘trade in’) against another vehicle or offer you a derisory, low price for it.
You could alternatively advertise the car yourself and go through all the hassle of placing a classified ad, waiting for it to be printed and published (probably a week later) and then endure a queue of people coming to your house, expecting a test drive and then haggling you down from your asking price.
You could also make up a ‘For Sale’ sign, stick it in the rear windscreen of your car and hope that someone would see it and contact you. And that could take weeks.
All of that is no good to you if you are looking for cash quickly and easily. Today, there are solutions available. Many websites will have the whole selling process done and dusted in 24-48 hours, with the cash reaching your bank account within a couple of days.
And even if you don’t need the money quite that quickly, but you also don’t want the grief of actually selling your vehicle, there are websites that will do that work for you too.
Things have moved forward in massive leaps and bounds. Selling your car online in one or two days is perfectly possible and quite easy. Specialist agencies have been launched to do all the work for you, and at double quick time. It really couldn’t be easier.
The level of assistance given varies and so do the various offerings, but the end result – the sale of your vehicle – is well within grasp. So, who is out there and ready to do the selling for you? How do they differ? And what does it cost?
Some sites effectively buy the car from you and sell it on, making their profit in that way. You will be offered a price, but it might be slightly less than you would expect if you sold the vehicle yourself. But what you lose in the final figure, you gain in speed and convenience. In many cases. the money is paid to you direct – you don’t have to deal with chancers and hagglers.
Other sites help you to set up an advertisement to move your car on. You might still have to deal with the end buyer, but your advert is getting a broad showing across the UK. These sites have a wide audience, so you are putting your car out in front of a lot of potential buyers. And that’s far more preferable than sticking a ‘For Sale’ sign in the window and parking it on the street.
Here The Car Expert looks at the big players in the world of internet selling. This is a list not a ranking, as the offerings do differ. It often depends on the level of input you want, as well as cost.
This is a hugely popular and well-reviewed way to sell your car quickly and easily – it has become a serious rival to the successful WeBuyAnyCar set up.
Step 1 is to request a valuation of your car. This takes just a few minutes – you simply enter your car’s registration number plus a few personal details such as email address, and Motorway does the rest, checking valuations of vehicles like yours using live data for up to the minute valuations.
If you are happy with the valuation, you’ll be asked to profile your car using your phone to take photos of the vehicle. Step-by-step instructions are given to help you get shots that buyers want to see. Those buyers are made up of the 7,500 dealers in Motorway’s network who might be interested in adding your car to their stock inventory.
The company also has an army of scrap metal dealers and recyclers who might also take the car, so it doesn’t matter if you have a sought-after beauty or an old banger worth just a few hundred pounds. Whichever trader you choose to sell to, Motorway will transfer the money to your account within 24 hours and collect the car free of charge.
Carwow was – and possibly still is – known for its ability to find you a great car to buy from a dealer and at a discount. And the know-how and expertise it had to do that task has now been applied to helping you sell a car too.
The company has assisted 10 million people to either find or sell a car and in terms of selling, it claims to have handled 230,000 such transactions.
The set-up is similar to Motorway’s in that you enter your registration number and personal details, and ask Carwow to circulate that information to its network of more than 5,500 trusted used car dealers who bid in an online auction. All you have to do is pick the offer that appeals to you, likely the highest one.
It’s important that you enter truthful and honest details about the car (and that goes for any similar site) because these will all be carefully checked anyway, before any cash is handed over.
The site is packed full of car reviews, tips, advice and other useful information.
In the days when everything was printed on paper, Auto Trader was the go-to for anyone thinking of buying a used car. Today (except ‘Autotrader’ is now all one word, apparently), it offers a similar service which is very popular with potential buyers – except that today it’s all online.
You can still advertise your vehicle which puts you in control, allowing you to set the price and maximise your selling price while putting the car in front of a potential ten million people. But this is a longer process, and you have to pay for it – £18 for a two-week slot rising to £45 for the ‘Ultimate’ service, advertising the vehicle until it sells.
To speed things up – and get your hands on some cash quicker – Autotrader also offers the auction route. The site says a car can be sold in as little as 48 hours.
It takes the traditional path – the car is put in front, virtually, of thousands of dealers, who compete with each other by bidding to offer the best price. Once the auction is over, you will be notified of the best price and can then decide whether to proceed or not. There’s free collection of the vehicle offered and same-day payment made.
It’s a similar story with Exchange My Car – and you can get paid in quick time too – but this system involves a few more checks.
To get started, you type in your car’s registration number, along with current mileage and your personal details. The site uses information from its car-buying partners to come up with an initial valuation for you.
If you’re going ahead, you then need to give more detailed information about the car and images of it so that the valuers can come up with a more accurate estimate. Here the further checks begin: you book an appointment for a specialist visit and gather all the car’s relevant documentation and paperwork.
On the day of the appointment, the car buying partner arrives to check over the car and confirm it’s all as described, before completing the sale paperwork and closing the deal. It’s at this point, of course, that the valuation can change as the vehicle’s condition is assessed. However, if everyone’s happy, money is transferred immediately, and arrangements are made to collect the car.
Thaks to a series of high profile advertising slots, including some catchy tunes, We Buy Any Car is the UK’s best-known online car buying site. It’s been going the longest, too, and really set the pace in terms of this method of car sales.
It also gained a reputation for reducing the expected price for minor cosmetic damage, sometimes knocking hundreds of pounds off what people thought they would receive. As rivals have emerged, We Buy Any Car has had to adjust its offer-making process to stay competitive.
One big difference here is that there is no free car collection service in the deal, so it’s not as ’relaxing’ as some offerings. You have to take your car to one of We Buy Any Car’s 500 depots across the country. They claim the nearest is no more than 15 minutes away, but that’s worth checking before you get in too deep with the sale.
The initial valuation is held for four days, so you can have a think about it and make an appointment. There is a charge to sell with We Buy Any Car – £50 for cars up to £4,000, £75 for up to £7,000, with other increments rising to £125 for up to £20,000. But it’s a fairly quick service and you can even get your money in 15 minutes – as long as you pay £30 for their ‘Immediate Payment’ service.
The term ‘eBay’ is a buzzword for online auctions and it you haven’t heard of this American giant, there’s something seriously amiss. The company is a leader in online selling and covers almost anything you can think of, including cars.
You fill in a detailed but easy-to-use online form, including details of your car with photos, and can then sign up for a length of time for an auction to be held – a week is a good benchmark. There’s the option to set a starting price and a reserve price for protection, plus the choice to have a ‘Buy it Now’ price, which can speed everything up.
There is a fee to sell in an eBay auction. It starts at £15 to list the vehicle, but the add-ons, such as £6 for ‘Buy it Now’ and £10 for a reserve to be set, can bump up the fee. And there’s more: a 1% cut of the final sale price fee (minimum £25, maximum £45) to pay.
For that though, you get financial peace of mind because eBay handles all the payment transactions for you. You don’t hand over the car until you have been paid, and you can check the useful feedback ratings on your potential buyer to see if they are trustworthy and quick.
Gumtree is another great site worth a look when it comes to finding yourself a new-to-you used car – they have 230,000 of them all waiting to be sold. But this expertise has also been put to good use when it comes to buying from you too.
And there’s one big bonus with this car advertising site – if you’re a private seller, there’s no fee. You are basically creating a classified advert for Gumtree’s readers to see. Start with the registration number to set the ball rolling and the site fills in many of the car’s details for you.
There is the option to add other information if you wish, and there are tips and advice to help you fill in the greater detail that will help you attract more buyers. Photos are important in this process and Gumtree allows you to upload several showing all angles of the car.
Every car advertised gets a free, basic HPI history check to prove it hasn’t been written off, stolen or been in an accident. The system can prove speedy, however there is no payment assistance. Gumtree brings sellers and buyers together to find a deal – but arranging to get the money from them is down to you.
Like eBay, Facebook is a name that’s become almost part of modern life. Millions of people use it as a form of communication through social media, but few know that it can be used to sell a vehicle. Launched in 2016, its Marketplace section is slowly gathering supporters.
This is a service for private buyers and sellers and consequently, cars at the cheaper end of the scale are more likely to be listed. It’s a cheap and convenient way to advertise your car – indeed listings are free. It’s a classified ad set-up again.
Click on the Marketplace section and open the ‘selling’ subdivision. There you enter details of your car and can include photos at this point.
There’s potentially a wide audience here as your advert can be seen by any Facebook user who goes to the Marketplace. Buyers can narrow down their search to your make, model or mileage so the right people could be driven towards your advert. Again, the negotiations and cash collection are down to you. Facebook merely puts you and a potential buyer together – but at least they’re another FB user.
Got a car that you simply want to get rid of as quickly as possible in return for some small cash? These two sites could be your answer then. They take vehicles that other sites wouldn’t touch, such as badly damaged ones or older models that are ready for the scrappers.
Don’t expect a fortune from either of them but it’s likely to be a more competitive offer than from your local scrap dealer. Plus, there’s the added convenience that both these sites offer free collection, so you don’t even have to drive your car to the ‘breaker’s yard’.
Car Converter styles itself as ‘Cash for cars’ and says it’s the ‘damaged car buying specialist’. The simple site asks you to enter the car’s registration number, mileage and your postcode and with that they will send you a quote.
Car Take Back is the largest scrap car recycling network in the UK and has recycled nearly eight million vehicles. All Car Take Back needs is the registration number and your postcode to give you a quote. If you like what you see, you can arrange for a collection and once the vehicle is safely collected, the cash is sent to your bank.
*The Car Expert has commercial partnerships with Autotrader, Carwow, eBay Motors, Exchange My Car, Motorway and We Buy Any Car. If you click through to their websites, we may receive a small commission.This does not affect the valuations you receive.
The UK’s new car market returned to growth in June after a slow couple of months, with the overall results slightly ahead of last year as we reach the halfway point of 2025.
According to data published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations were up by 7% in June compared to the same month last year, with fleet registrations up by 9% and private new car sales up by 6%. Just over 190,000 new cars were registered for the month.
Source: SMMT
So as we reach the halfway point of the year, 2025 registrations are about 4% ahead of the same point last year, with private sales 5% up and fleet registrations up by 3%.
While this is good news for the industry, it’s worth keeping in mind that this is still about 20% or so below the numbers we used to see before the Covid-19 pandemic, and it doesn’t look like the market will recover to those levels anytime in the foreseeable future.
EVs lead the charge
Unsurprisingly, electric cars and plug-in hybrids continued to lead the way in June. New EV registrations were up 39% on the same month last year, while plug-in hybrids were up by 29% and not far off the numbers recorded for regular (non-plugged) hybrids, which were down by 9%. Petrol cars registrations were down by 4% while diesels were almost unchanged – which is effectively going backwards since the market was up by 7%.
Source: SMMT
One in four new cars (25%) registered in June was an EV, with year-to-date numbers tracking ever closer to the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate figure for 2025. Officially, this says that 28% of all new cars must be EVs, but in reality there are allowances in the system that will bring that figure down to about 23%.
With June’s numbers running ahead of that figure, and year-to-date market share sitting at just under 22%, the industry seems better placed to meet the 28% mandate requirement this year than it was tracking to meet last year’s 22% target at the same point of the year. However, we still expect some manufacturers to be behind their targets in coming months so there are still likely to be strong deals around on new EVs from some car brands.
Plug-in hybrids continue to enjoy a 2025 resurgence, which is also linked to the ZEV mandate. This further eases pressure on some manufacturers to sell more EVs, as plug-in hybrids effectively count as partial credits. Regular hybrid sales were down quite notably, which was something of a surprise, while declining petrol car sales was less of a surprise and has become the norm as customers gradually switch to electrified vehicles.
Good month, bad month
Although the overall market was up by 7% in June, that growth wasn’t shared equally across all brands and some were a long way ahead or behind.
What the lists above don’t show is the performance of the new brands that have entered the UK market within the last 12 months. Omoda and Jaecoo (two sister brands but effectively operating as one company) have had a very strong start to the year. Combined, they outsold brands like Mazda and Mini despite having only a couple of models between them. Leapmotor (a Chinese brand within the enormous Stellantis family) continued its slow start to UK sales, just ahead of Xpeng, while Skywell only managed to put number plates on two cars in the entire month.
As usual, Volkswagen ruled the roost in terms of total registrations, ahead of BMW, Ford, Hyundai and Kia. BYD recorded the largest growth, increasing registrations by nearly 3,900 cars compared to the same month last year. Going in the other direction, Toyota recorded the biggest fall with a drop of more than 2,600 cars over last June’s numbers.
We’ll have a more detailed 2025 half-time report coming in the next few days, analysing each brand’s performance over the first six months of the year and discussing what to expect in the next six months.
Qashqai takes top spot
The UK-made Nissan Qashqai was the UK’s best-selling new car in June, comfortably eclipsing the Ford Puma, which increased its lead in the overall 2025 sales race to more than 3,000 units over the Kia Sportage.
Source: SMMT
Tesla bounced back into the best-sellers list in June, with both of its UK models performing well. The Model Y crossover was the third-best-selling car, while the Model 3 saloon was sixth. Although people will inevitably connect improved Tesla sales with its CEO Elon Musk leaving his unpopular US government role, in reality these results are well within Tesla’s usual sales fluctuations and there’s probably not much more to read into things at this stage.
The Nissan Juke squeezed into the bottom end of the table in ninth place, giving us two UK-built cars in the top ten this month.
We’ll have our usual top ten report out later today.
The Audi A6 e-tron is the all-electric equivalent of the large Audi A6 executive family car. Becoming available to order in the UK in Autumn 2024, the range includes ‘Sportback’ saloon and ‘Avant’ estate body styles, as well as Sportier S6 variants.
Described by Jordan Katsianis of Auto Express as “arguably the best executive EV” Audi has launched to date, this upmarket saloon and estate has received a warm welcome from the British motoring media, with several favourable comparisons to the A6 e-tron’s closest rivals.
The Top Gear team argues that the Audi is “nicer to drive and less puzzling” than the Mercedes-Benz EQE, while Parker’s Alan Taylor-Jones points out that the A6 e-tron has a more impressive battery range than the BMW i5. Martyn Collins of Business Car adds that the executive car is “much better to drive” than the Q6 e-tron SUV, which is built on the same platform.
Both saloon and estate are also widely commended for Audi’s intuitive on-board tech and straight-line performance, though several outlets take issue with the car’s interior space.
While concluding that the A6 e-tron is “superbly well-rounded”, Paul Adam of Driving Electric warns that “rear space is compromised to the point that buyers will need to think seriously about whether the car meets their particular passenger-carrying needs.”
As of December 2025, the Audi A6 e-tron holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 79%. Besides its collection of good to excellent review scores, this overall rating is bolstered by a five-star Euro NCAP safety assessment and favourable running cost estimations.
Body style: Large saloon and estate Engines:electric, battery-powered Price:From £63,315 on-road
Launched: Autumn 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 Audi A6 Avant e-tron is a spacious and all-electric estate car, with a decent range and good performance, although it falls ever so slightly behind its BMW i5 rival. “
“The Audi A6 e-tron is sleek, comfortable and good to drive – but real-world range isn’t as good as promised and it feels a bit cheap in low trim levels.”
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “The superb Audi A6 e-tron has a wide appeal, making it the best executive EV from the brand to date.” Author: Jordan Katsianis Read review
Model reviewed: Estate (Avant) range Score: 9 / 10 “There are flaws in terms of packaging, but the Audi A6 Avant e-tron’s dynamic performance and range are excellent.” Author: Alex Ingram, Dean Gibson Read review
Model reviewed: S6 estate (Avant) Score: 9 / 10 “Audi’s mid-table S models have always had to find a balance between brains and brawn, and Audi has nailed it with the new Audi S6 e-tron Avant. This is a big, heavy beast, but the S6 appreciably ups the stakes on the already impressive A6 e-tron package. It’s comfortable, well built, fast and has a good estimated range. Plus it drives well and looks pretty slick.” Author: Jordan Katsianis Read review
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Sportback (liftback) range Score: 9 / 10 “Converting the popular Audi A6 to electric power took guts, but the A6 Sportback e-tron is everything you expect it to be and more. It might not be all that exciting to drive, but it’s well made, high-tech and it comes with a huge range, regardless of which battery size you choose. The only problem is that its main rivals – namely the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE – have many of the same qualities.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Model reviewed: Avant (estate) range Score: 9 / 10 “Audi regains its estate car mojo in electrified form with the sleek, practical and very efficient A6 Avant e-tron.” Author: Dan Trent Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: A6 Avant E-Tron Performance Edition 1 Score: 8 / 10 “We feel it is much better to drive than its Q6 sister – and more efficient. The interior design and tech are also first rate. It’s just a shame the Avant estate’s boot is no better than that of the Sportback hatch.” Author: Martyn Collins Read review
Car
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Audi A6 e-tron is, for the most part, a success. The heavy focus on aero has helped it jump to the top of the class for range, and the rear-drive A6 e-trons are significantly quicker than their equivalents from BMW and Mercedes, too. It’s good to drive with a polished feel to the controls and chassis tuning. We just wish it was more accommodating in the back, and the interior quality was a bit better in places.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones, Ted Welford Read review
Model reviewed: A6 Avant E-Tron Performance Score: 8 / 10 “It’s just as good as the BMW i5 Touring, which offers more space but less range, and it’s a strong premium option to the more affordable Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer. The handling may not be that exciting, but it delivers fantastic interior technology, a relatively compliant ride and decent straight-line performance.” Author: Curtis Moldrich Read review
Model reviewed: S6 Avant (estate) Score: 8 / 10 “If you’ve got your heart set on a comfortable, tech-laden estate with decent practicality and class-leading range the Audi S6 Avant e-Tron is a strong choice. However, for similar money, the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo is mighty tempting.” Author: James Dennison Read review
Model reviewed: S6 Sportback (liftback) Score: 8 / 10 “If you liked the old S6 and want to go electric, you’ll probably like the Audi S6 e-tron. There’s the same easy-going performance car vibe, asking virtually no compromises over lesser A6 e-trons.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.6 / 10 “The Audi A6 e-tron is a great electric executive car that not only looks the part, but also sports a class-beating range thanks to large batteries and great efficiency. It’s comfortable, refined and full of technology, but its only achilles’ heel is a disappointing amount of interior space.” Author: Charlie Harvey Read review
Carwow
Model reviewed: A6 Avant E-Tron Performance Score: 9 / 10 “The Audi A6 Avant e-tron is comfortable, great to drive, and promises massive range, but practicality can’t quite match alternatives.” Author: Darren Cassey Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “Rear space is compromised to the point that buyers will need to think seriously about whether the car meets their particular passenger-carrying needs. This important point aside, the A6 e-tron is superbly well-rounded.” Author: Paul Adam Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: A6 Avant E-Tron Performance Score: 9 / 10 “I wish it had a bigger boot, and that the frunk was standard, and that it had V2L charging… But it is still one of the best long distance electric cars out there – that range is really good.” Author: Vicky Parrott Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: A6 Avant E-Tron Performance Score: 9 / 10 “It’s an impressive car. The driving experience is excellent, with very comfortable ride quality and rewarding rear-wheel drive handling, a genuinely premium cabin and a user-friendly infotainment system.” Author: Paul Clarke Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The Audi A6 e-tron is a futuristic new take on the traditional executive car, with its fully-electric drivetrain offering outstanding range and ultra-fast charging. Design and interior are forward-looking too, while the drive has the precision and integrity you’d expect of an Audi.” Author: Richard Aucock Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.2 / 10 “It feels like a much more polished product than the Mercedes-Benz EQE and has a longer range than the BMW i5. Rear space is a little disappointing, as is interior quality in places, but this is a fundamentally good electric car you’d be more than happy to own.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “I quite liked it – for an EV. I liked it better than the fellow German opposition, although if you are considering an EV estate the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer shooting brake is cheaper and almost as good.” Author: Andrew English Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “It’s a slimmer, daintier car than the BMW i5, nicer to drive and less puzzling than a Mercedes EQE.” 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 December 2025, the Audi A6 e-tron 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 [Model] 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
428 miles
A
Electrical efficiency
Average
Score
Variation
Score
EV models
4.4 m/KWh
B
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£395
D
Year 2
£778
D
Year 3
£1,183
D
Year 4
£1,477
D
Year 5
£1,875
D
Overall
£5,708
D
The Audi A6 e-tron is a relatively 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 saloon and estate range offers one of the longest battery ranges on the market, with an average single-charge battery range of 428 miles (ranging from 384 to 461 miles depending on the model you choose).
Its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is better than average, while the car’s estimated servicing and maintenance costs are rather expensive, totalling nearly £6k over the first five years of ownership. That is to be expected of a car of his size and price tag, however.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of December 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Audi A6 e-tron 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 A6 e-tron, we’ll publish the results here.
As of December 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Audi A6 e-tron. 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 Audi dealer.
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease an Audi A6 e-tron
If you’re looking to lease a new Audi A6 e-tron, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to an Audi A6 e-tron
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?)
Make and model: Renault 5 E-Tech Description: Electric supermini Price range: £22,995 to £29,995
Renault says: “Faithful to the 2021 concept car, the Renault 5 E-Tech electric brings a welcome sparkle to the world of EVs”. We say: The Renault 5 is a distinctive, affordable small EV which offers as much practicality as it does retro style.
Most concept cars don’t reach production without their more radical aspects being diluted and ‘normalised’ for a buying public, but the story goes that when Renault’s CEO saw the company’s concept for a new electric small car in 2021, he insisted that it had to go on sale with as few changes as possible.
That concept reimagined the Renault 5, one of the first true ‘superminis’ – small hatchbacks – made between 1972 and 1995 that proved a huge success. More than five million were built and as well as becoming the most popular car in France, it found many satisfied owners across Europe.
The 2021 concept was instantly recognisable as a successor to the old 5, despite being a modern electric vehicle (EV). It had the upright proportions, sloping rear end, big wheel-on-each-corner design and various details that sparked instant memories of the original.
Now, four years on, the Renault 5 (Renault 5 E-Tech electric, to give it its full and official name) is finally arriving in showrooms and looking remarkably like the head-turning concept from a few years ago. It has also gone on to win the European Car of the Year Award, The Car Expert’s Best Small Car 2025 award and a host of other trophies. But does it live up to the hype?
What is the Renault 5?
In short, the Renault 5 is an electric supermini, replacing the previous Renault Zoe, the brand’s initial dip into the world of electric mobility which was popular (despite a disastrous Euro NCAP safety rating), but been long overtaken by the speed of EV development.
Thankfully, the new 5 is much more than a modern Zoe. This is Renault treading boldly down the same path trod by BMW with its Mini, and Fiat with the 500, producing a practical, current car that also distinctly references a classic predecessor and thus makes itself a fashionable lifestyle choice as well as a transport one.
However, this is also a car that Renault wants to sell in big numbers. So it’s practical – it’s quite light in weight for an EV, and crucially its price starts at just £23K, putting it right at the affordable end of electric motoring.
First impressions
This is where Renault has possibly had its greatest success – the new Renault 5 is a thoroughly up-to-date electric vehicle but in its body styling it really does reference its classic forebear, with so many details that fans of the original Renault 5 will recognise.
Yet even if you had no idea there was a previous Renault 5 – and much of the target market for this car will be in that category – this is simply attractive, a purposeful little car that owners will feel good driving and being seen driving.
The car offers a very poised stance, with big wheels that fill out the wheel arches, while such elements as the vertical light clusters on the rear pillars, another original Renault 5 detail, appear attractive in their own right.
Renault is certainly making the most of its new fashionable supermini. The paint options include the bright yellow always regarded as the signature colour of both Renault 5 and Renault itself, while there are also various decals and graphics on offer, replicating a market previously well exploited by BMW with its born-again Mini brand.
The retro treatment continues inside with the way the seats and the fascia are styled, but the major impression is the quality of fit and finish. It’s good to see Renault not going down the route of touchscreen-everything with a number of physical controls, though this does lead to a lot of stalks around the steering wheel.
We like: Car neatly fuses retro elements with modern practicalities We don’t like: Some spec oddities such as heated seats only on the top model
What do you get for your money?
The Renault 5 is offered with trim levels in the UK, dubbed ‘Evolution’, ‘Techno’ and ‘Iconic Five’. Evolution is only available with the smaller 40kWh battery, which means a range of less than 200 miles – not necessarily an issue when most supermini owners will not get to a quarter of that in an average day’s driving.
Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, auto air conditioning, wireless smartphone connection for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear parking sensors, cruise control and LED lights front and rear. Every Renault 5 also gets a heat pump, which aids battery charging in lower temperatures, and ‘vehicle to load’, allowing the car to be used to power external electrical equipment.
Likely to be most popular is the mid-range Techno spec, offering a significant increase in specification for £2,000 more than the Evolution and another £2,000 for the longer-range battery that stretches the official range close to 250 miles.
Specification highlights include a larger ten-inch driver display (up from the seven inches of the evolution), wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera and multiple driving modes.
Go for the top Iconic Five trim level and you get different alloy wheels, plus heating for the steering wheel and front seats, hands-free parking and some safety extras, including lane centring and a blind-spot warning.
In terms of safety, the Renault 5 scored four stars when tested by Euro NCAP in December 2024. It performs well in crash situations, but misses out on a five-star rating by not achieving top marks in accident avoidance tests. It is, however, much better than the Zoe’s abysmal zero-star rating…
We like: Heat pump standard on all versions We don’t like: Blind-spot warning only on top models
What’s the Renault 5 like inside?
Slip inside the Renault 5 and many potential buyers might notice the shelf-style fascia in front of the front passenger seat and be impressed by its padding and quality stitching, without realising that the shelf look is yet another nod to the original car.
As well as the driver’s digital display of seven or ten inches, all versions boast a ten-inch central touchscreen. On upper-spec models, this benefits from Renault’s tie-up with Google, with various apps available beyond the obvious Maps, but even the lower-spec versions accept Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connections with their access to Google functions.
What is a definite plus is the touchscreen not being needed to control the entire car. There are a number of physical buttons, including some four stalks on the steering column, and many aspects of the controls will be familiar to anyone who has driven a current Renault.
Gear selection is a simple matter of drive, neutral and reverse on most EVs and these functions on the Renault 5 are contained on a very slim stalk emerging top right of the steering wheel – it does look a little odd and, dare we say, fragile compared to its three chunkier siblings but does its job effectively.
In terms of space the rear seats are a little cosy, as one expects in this size of car. Taller passengers in the back will likely feel more comfortable than they would in a Mini, though their legs will be somewhat cramped.
The boot offers 326 litres of luggage space. It’s not that easy to use, however, as while pleasingly deep and with dedicated storage for the charging cable, it has a high loading lip which will have those with heavy suitcases struggling.
We like: Quality trim with padded, stitched fascia We don’t like: High boot loading lip
What’s under the bonnet?
The Renault 5 offers a choice of two power units and two battery sizes, both employing a single electric motor driving the front wheels. The choice is between 40 kWh and 52 kWh batteries, and power outputs of 120 or 150hp.
This is not exactly the swiftest electric supermini out there, though it will offer enough get up and go for most users. The 120hp model will pass 62mph in nine seconds, while the more potent variant does the same sprint a second quicker.
In terms of charging, both variants will take around 11 hours to charge at home using an AC wallbox. The 120 model can only use DC fast charging at a rate of 80kWh, the 150 model 100kWh – in both cases you are looking at around half an hour to go from 15 to 80% energy level.
What’s the Renault 5 like to drive?
Small electric cars that are really successful tend to have certain qualities – they are excellently behaved in urban environments, able to manoeuvre with ease around traffic-choked town centres but they also offer a little fun behind the wheel when out on the open road. The Renault 5 ticks all these boxes very well, much like its inspiration did back in the 1980s.
As mentioned in the powertrain section it’s not a rocketship small EV – for more pace (though still not that fast in EV terms) you will need the sister Alpine A290. But the majority of buyers will not miss such potency, instead appreciating that the Renault 5 is fun to drive, while the instant response from the electric drivetrain does still allow swift overtaking of slower traffic.
The car will cruise smoothly and silently through urban roads, while up at motorway speeds it remains refined and comfortable, with for a small car in particular a remarkable lack of extraneous noise.
That right combination also shows up when cornering. This is no stiff sports model but it’s not over-soft either, with just the right amount of body roll and a chassis that goes where it’s pointed through proportional steering offering just enough feedback.
Obviously being a modern EV means that the Renault 5 comes fitted with EU mandatory driver alerts. The good news is that it also boasts Renault’s personalisation feature that allows the intervention of such alerts to be regulated or even removed at a single button press.
Those four stalks around the steering wheel do not leave room for the typical EV feature of regenerative braking paddles and the choices are limited, set in the personalisation feature with a choice of only two levels – certainly you can’t drive this car on one pedal like you can other EVs.
We like: General combination of comfort and driving fun We don’t like: Limited brake regeneration
Verdict
The choice of affordable small electric cars is growing quickly. For the same money as the Renault 5, some rivals – particularly from Chinese brands – offer more space and more performance.
The Renault 5, however, scores on being both affordable and a car with personality, an image. It’s the same basic retro-inspired success story that keeps the Mini and the Fiat 500 selling in large numbers, but at a starting price that undercuts both – the Mini by £3.5K.
Throw in the fact that the success of both those cars means there are many on the roads, while the Renault is both shiny and new and more practical than either of its perceived direct rivals, and you can see why this car is set to be a hit.
The market for small electric cars was slow to get moving, but has been accelerating in the last couple of years. The Renault 5 is not the only retro-themed small EV available, with the Fiat 500e and Mini Cooper Electric also trading heavily on nostalgia for previous models.
While Japanese brands like Toyota and Nissan are regarded as fairly conventional mainstream manufacturers targeting European equivalents like Ford and Volkswagen, Mazda has always been a little bit different.
This is a brand that has always been smaller than its domestic rivals and charted its own course, along the way producing some distinctive models – some that have sunk almost without trace, some that have become cult classics and one that has come to define an entire segment of the car market.
Despite building almost nothing but three-wheeled, motorcycle-based delivery trucks for three decades, Mazda evolved into an innovative car company that has been unafraid to challenge industry conventions, especially in terms of engine technology and ideas for how electric vehicles should work.
Many people today are familiar with Mazda primarily for its record-breaking small sports car, the MX-5, or perhaps its range of generally competent SUVs. However, this is a company with an interesting and complex history. Despite partnerships with larger automotive giants over the years, the company remains fiercely independent and has no plans to change its approach in the face of daunting changes confronting the car industry.
Several well-known car manufacturers started out making something entirely different and Mazda is certainly one of those. It was founded in 1920 in Hiroshima, Japan, as a manufacturer of cork. This did not prove particularly profitable, however, the company saved from bankruptcy by diversifying into machine tools and, from 1931, vehicles.
The first of these were motorcycles and three-wheeled trucks, effectively powered rickshaws. The first ‘Mazda-Go’ had a 200kg load capacity and was originally marketed by Mitsubishi despite wearing a Mazda badge.
Where the Mazda name comes from is unclear; the company has stated that it was inspired both by company founder Jujiro Matsuda and from the god of the earliest civilisation in western Asia, who was called Ahura Mazda – the company’s current logo supposedly indicates the beginning of the East and the West civilization, while also being a symbol of automotive civilization and culture. And you thought it was just a stylised ‘M’…
As with most car companies around the world in the 1930s and 1940s, Mazda was involved with making armaments for the second world war – in this case, weapons for the Japanese military. Work on its first passenger car continued during this time, with a prototype for a small car. However, it wouldn’t be until 1960 that Mazda’s first car reached production.
Immediately after the war, Mazda exploited its wartime know-how to produce a jeep-like two-seat utility truck. Three-wheelers continued to be the company’s core focus, however, with 200,000 built by 1957.
The company’s first car was the R360 coupé, a two-door four-seater powered by a tiny engine and priced to allow working people to buy their first car, in a very similar spirit to the Citroën 2CV, the Volkswagen Beetle, the Fiat 500 and the Mini.
Mazda’s model range expanded through the 1960s, including a pick-up truck, a micro-car, larger saloon and estate models, a people carrier and even a bus. But production was still dominated by its small trucks, even as the company started exporting to Europe in 1967.
The first real sign of Mazda’s unconventional thinking also came in 1967 with its first sports car. The Cosmo Sport was a two-seat convertible – much the same size as a modern MX-5, in fact – but it was powered by a completely different kind of petrol engine, called a rotary engine.
For several years, Mazda had been working with German manufacturer NSU (later acquired by Audi) to develop the Wankel rotary engine. This type of engine has far fewer moving parts than a conventional petrol engine, and offers high power and smooth running from a very compact unit. However, there are also challenges to the technology – particularly poor fuel economy and very high oil consumption, which has caused no end of problems for owners over the years.
Mazda marketed several rotary-powered models during the late 1960s and 1970s, these proving popular until the 1973 oil crisis pointed buyers in search of cars with better fuel efficiency. The company persevered, however, and launched two sports cars that have become cult classics over the years – the RX-7, made across three generations between 1978 and 2002, and the RX-8, which had a much shorter run of a single model between 2003 and 2012.
Other makers investigated and then abandoned rotaries, but Mazda has continued to work on the technology to this day and has built more than two million rotary engines over the years. The range-extender version of today’s MX-30 electric vehicle even uses a small rotary petrol engine to generate electricity for the electric motor.
In recent years, Mazda has also focused on squeezing ever more efficiency from conventional petrol and diesel engines through its SkyActiv programme, using different technologies to improve power and fuel economy while reducing emissions. Most of Mazda’s current models use SkyActiv engines, although the company has lagged behind the rest of the car industry when it comes to hybrids and electric cars.
As with most long-lived car brands, Mazda has endured periods of financial trouble. In 1979, it sold 25% of the company to Ford in an arrangement that led to several joint model projects. By the 1990s, Ford had upped its stake to 33% and began an extensive restructure of Mazda’s business to ensure its continued viability.
Ford’s management streamlined the company, bringing Mazda back into profit and helping Ford’s own balance sheet through cost savings from the joint venture projects. But when America’s financial crash of 2008 hit, Ford began selling off its stake in Mazda and completed its exit by 2015. Mazda then signed a new technical arrangement with Toyota, albeit with far less management integration.
Through its financial ups and downs, Mazda launched a car that would become the brand’s most famous product – the MX-5. A small two-seat roadster directly inspired by British sports cars of the 1960s, such as the MGB and Lotus Elan, it was initially greeted with some bemusement by rival manufacturers when it was revealed in 1989. Today, with the end of the fourth-generation model in sight and a fifth generation in development, Mazda has sold more than 1.2 million MX-5s around the world. It is, by a huge margin, the best-selling two-seat roadster in the world.
1989 Mazda MX-52023 Mazda MX-5
What models does Mazda have and what else is coming?
Without doubt, Mazda’s most famous car is the MX-5 roadster. Now in its fourth generation, it’s available with a traditional soft top or a targa metal roof. The current MX-5 has been widely praised by motoring journalists around the world for being a joy to drive, although it’s obviously not a very practical vehicle with only two seats and a tiny boot.
Unsurpisingly, however, the bulk of the Mazda range is made up of various SUVs. The mid-sized CX-5 was the company’s first crack at the SUV sector, now in its second generation and globally the brand’s best seller. It’s considered a good all-round vehicle, with The Car Expert’s industry-leading Expert Rating Index giving it a New Car Expert Rating of B. However, decent driving dynamics are offset by middling safety scores and poor reliability.
The smaller CX-30 was launched in 2019 and is based on the Mazda 3 hatchback. It earns a New Car Expert Rating of A, with the main criticisms being a small boot and less practicality than some other small crossovers.
The CX-60 sits above the CX-5, a larger mid-sized SUV that also debuted the brand’s first plug-in hybrid engine and aimed at a more upmarket audience. It, too, has a New Car Expert Rating of A, though reviewers don’t rate it in the same class as the Audis and BMWs it was supposedly built to compete with.
Even bigger is the CX-80, the most recent arrival in showrooms as Mazda’s large SUV flagship model and essentially a larger version of the CX-60. So new it has not been Expert Rated yet, the CX-80 offers seven seats and, like its CX-60 sibling, can be bought with a petrol/electric plug-in hybrid engine or even a diesel engine.
Mazda has not entirely abandoned traditional cars, although they make up a diminishing share of its sales. The Mazda 3, a mid-sized family hatch, remains on sale today in both hatch and saloon form. The latest generation model, introduced in 2019, earns a New Car Expert Rating of B, with reviewers feeling it doesn’t quite match the rival Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus.
The long-lived Mazda 2 small hatchback has recently been discontinued, replaced the similarly named but entirely different Mazda 2 Hybrid, which is simply a Toyota Yaris with a Mazda badge. It’s reason for existing is to help Mazda hit EV emissions regulations. It enjoys a New Car Expert Rating of A, although there’s no compelling reason to choose it over a Yaris since the Toyota is cheaper and comes with a better warranty.
Despite lagging badly in the move from fossil fuels to EVs, Mazda is finally coming to the party.
Its first EV, the MX-30, was launched in 2020 and praised for its driving dynamics but criticised for its very poor battery range. Unsurprisingly, few journalists or customers have accepted Mazda’s argument that most car buyers don’t actually need a driving range of more than 100 miles… As a result, the original MX-30 has since been joined by a version with a small rotary petrol engine to act as a generator for the electric motor, called the MX-30 R-EV. The range issues are the only significant minus marks against either car and both have earned a New Car Expert Rating of A in The Car Expert’s Expert Rating Index.
Likely to be regarded as the brand’s first mainstream EV, the all-new 6e will arrive in showrooms in 2026 as a direct replacement for the Mazda 6 saloon that was discontinued a few years ago. The company also previewed an electric SUV, the EZ-60, at the 2025 Shanghai motor show, which could come to the UK as an electric alternative to the CX-60.
As for the MX-5 – Mazda is known to be determined to continue its automotive big hit into a fifth generation, but the exact form of the new model is yet to be revealed. Some rumours suggest it could be based on a range-extender powertrain with a rotary engine like the MX-30 R-EV, but that would be a big departure from the simple petrol engine/manual gearbox formula of the last four generations.
Where can I try a Mazda car?
Mazda has around 120 dealers across the UK, generally well spread through England and Scotland. Wales, however, only has outlets at the very top of the country and around Cardiff. The Mazda website includes a finder to locate the nearest to you.
What makes Mazda different to the rest?
Mazda has long been seen as a bit different and somewhat eccentric – even compared to some of the wackiest parts of the Japanese car industry, but more recently it has gained a reputation for its maverick approach to electrification.
While much of the industry has been rushing to electrify, Mazda has argued that there is still more to be gained from the ongoing development of the internal combustion engine. It is pursuing this through its SkyActiv programme, and has also eschewed the move to smaller engines taken by other makers. However, it’s also fair to say that Mazda’s current line-up of cars doesn’t show any real advantages in terms of power, economy or emissions compared to rivals.
It’s also a proponent of sustainable fuels and has invested heavily in the development of these alternatives. There is an argument that if such fuels could be effectively produced at a low enough cost they could offer a major advantage in not requiring any infrastructure changes, such as charging networks, but there appears to be little evidence that sustainable fuels are ever going to be a viable solution for hundreds of millions of cars around the world.
Initially quite strident in these views, Mazda’s tone has softened in recent times and the company has belatedly started to play catch-up with electric vehicles.
Mazda is not entirely abandoning its stance on internal combustion, though, having recently committed to new engine development in partnership with Subaru and Toyota.
A Mazda fact to impress your friends
In the 1990s, a group of Mazda engineers once produced the very first car in a suitcase. Effectively a go-kart, it was created after they bought the largest Samsonite suitcase they could find and a quarter-sized motorcycle. They managed to house all the parts within the suitcase and when assembled, a task of minutes, the ‘car’ had a two-stroke engine, handlebars and a top speed of 19mph.
Sadly, the original prototype was destroyed by accident just a few months after its creation, but one ‘suitcase car’ is believed to still exist.
Summary
Mazda is developing electric vehicles for the future, but also refusing to abandon its own technology with new petrol and even diesel engines, encased within cars that earn generally positive comments for their comfort and quality.
The Mazda of today has come a long way from its first motorcycles of the 1930s, and it’s fair to assume that the future history of this particular brand will be no less complex. Independently owned car companies like Mazda are facing enormous challenges as the automotive world moves away from fossil fuels and embraces electrification, so it’s likely to be a rollercoaster ride.
Buy a Mazda
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Mazda, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Kia has announced that its new all-electric EV4 hatchback is now available to order in the UK, with three trim levels and two powertrain options to choose from.
Sitting between the smaller award-winning EV3 crossover and the upcoming EV5 SUV in Kia’s battery-powered UK range, the EV4 will be available in its hatchback body style at launch, with saloon variants to follow “in due course”.
It’s a mid-sized family car, set to compete with the sales of rivals like the Citroën ë-C4 and MG 4, Kia adding that it has been designed for European roads and is currently in production at the brand’s factory in Slovakia.
The range starts with the lead-in ‘Air’ trim, which is offered with either the ‘Standard Range’ 58kWh powertrain or ‘Long Range’ 81kWh battery pack. Both derive their power output from a front-mounted 200hp electric motor, but the former can muster up to 273 miles on a single charge, while the latter can reportedly handle up to 388 miles of travel without charging.
The EV4 can complete a 0-62mph sprint in a reported 7.5 seconds, with top speed electronically capped at 105mph. The mid-range ‘GT-Line’ and top-spec ‘GT-Line S’ trims are only offered with the larger 81kWh battery option, both having a slightly reduced official range of 362 miles.
Giving the battery a 10% to 80% top-up takes 29 minutes for the ‘Standard Range’ and 31 minutes for the ‘Long Range’ using a 350kW DC rapid charging station.
Key trim level features
Entry-level ‘Air’ (from £34,695)
LED headlights, daytime running lights, tail lights and rear fog lights
17-inch alloy wheels
Electric door mirrors with LED indicators
Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
Heated rear window and spoiler
Heated front seats
Artificial leather steering wheel
12-inch digital instrument cluster
Five-inch climate control touchscreen
12-inch infotainment touchscreen
Smart cruise control and lane keeping assistance
Front and rear parking sensors
Rear-view parking camera
Cloth upholstery
Mid-range ‘GT-Line’ (from £39,395)
All ‘Air’ features that are not replaced
19-inch alloy wheels
‘GT-Line’ exterior styling pack
Rear privacy glass
Artificial leather upholstery
Electrically-adjustable driver seat
Wireless smartphone charging pad
Customisable ambient interior lighting
Top-spec ‘GT-Line S’ (from £43,895)
All lower trim features that are not replaced
Front sunroof
Adaptive LED headlights
Heated and ventilated front seats
Heated outer rear seats
Motorised boot lid
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability
Remote parking assistance tech
Premium Harman Kardon sound system
Head-up display
Blind spot monitoring
Surround-view parking camera
Kia says that the hatchback comes with the brand’s latest suite of on-board tech, pointing to the 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch infotainment screen pairing on the dashboard that the brand calls the ‘connected car Navigation Cockpit’. This comes as standard, with these two displays connected together by a smaller five-inch touchscreen dedicated to the car’s climate control settings.
Part of Kia’s plans to launch 15 different electric cars by 2030, the EV4 is now available to order in the UK with prices starting at around £35k for the ‘Air’ variant with the ‘Standard Range’ battery pack.
The popular Kia Sportage SUV has been given a mid-life refresh, including cosmetic tweaks, trim line-up revisions and infotainment upgrades.
The Sportage is currently the second best-selling new car in the UK in 2025, accounting for around 38% of Kia’s total UK sales so far this year, and the manufacturer is hoping that this facelift can give the SUV a sales edge over rivals like the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson.
Kia says it has given the Sportage look “a more confident look” including an updated front fascia with new LED headlights, LED ‘Star Map’ daytime running lights and revised front bumper design below an enlarged front grille. The SUV also sports new LED graphics for the tail lights and a new alloy wheel design. Kia also adds that it has improved the sound dampening in the front to make the driving experience a bit quieter in the cabin.
The manufacturer adds that it has “simplified” the Sportage model line-up, now including three different options – down from four. The entry-level ‘Pure’, mid-range ‘GT-Line’ and top-spec ‘GT-line S’ will be available with either a 145hp 1.6-litre petrol engine or a 232hp 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid, though a manual gearbox version of the lead-in petrol will only be available with the cheapest ‘Pure’ trim spec. All other models make use of an automatic gearbox.
The ‘Pure’, as well as the higher trims, will also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time, but the technical specs and arrival date of this plug-in hybrid are yet to be confirmed.
Key trim level features
Lead-in ‘Pure’ (from £30,885)
LED headlights, tail lights and daytime running lights
17-inch alloy wheels
Electric door mirrors
Leather steering wheel
Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
Keyless start/stop
Auto-dimming rear view mirror
Smart cruise control and lane keeping assistance
Four-inch digital instrument cluster
12-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility
Cloth upholstery
Mid-range ‘GT-Line’ (from £33,385)
All ‘Pure’ features that are not replaced
18-inch alloy wheels (19-inch for hybrid)
‘GT-Line’ exterior styling package
LED front fog lights
Rear privacy glass
Chrome skid plates
Roof rails
Synthetic leather and suede upholstery
Heated steering wheel and front seats
Top-spec ‘GT-Line S’ (from £40,285)
All lower trim features that are not replaced
Adaptive LED headlights
Panoramic sunroof
Heated outer rear seats
Electrically-adjustable and ventilated front seats
Motorised boot lid
12-inch digital instrument cluster
Premium Harman Kardon sound system
Ten-inch head-up display
Wireless smartphone charging pad
Blind spot monitoring
Surround-view parking camera
Inside, there is a new two-spoke steering wheel and a 12-inch central infotainment screen orientated towards the driver. This display is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as before, but now comes with a Chat GPT-powered AI assistant and entertainment apps like Netflix and YouTube can be selected when the car is stationary.
While the ‘Pure’ and ‘GT-Line’ variants come with a four-inch screen behind the steering wheel, the range-topping ‘GT-Line S’ has a larger 12-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a ten-inch customisable head-up display that projects driving information onto the windscreen.
Now available to order in the UK, pricing for the refreshed Kia Sportage starts at just under £31k, rising to around £44k for the petrol-electric hybrid all-wheel drive ‘GT-Line S’ – the only all-wheel drive version currently offered.
The fifth-generation Kia Sportage currently holds an Expert Rating of A, with a score of 73% in our Expert Rating index. The SUV has been praised by the motoring media for its value-for-money entry-level models and impressive interior trim and tech, but criticised for its expensive top-end models and its ride comfort when compared to key rivals.
This is the fifth-generation Land Cruiser, which arrived on UK roads towards the end of 2024. The range includes both a pure diesel powertrain and a diesel mild-hybrid.
Its predecessor was praised to its off-roading ability and its solid build-quality, and this latest iteration has received similar praise from the UK motoring media. “The Toyota Land Cruiser is an incredibly dependable and rugged, making one of best 4×4’s you can buy”, says the Carbuyer team while praising the SUV for its practicality and Toyota’s reliability record.
Dean Gibson of Auto Express also commends the Toyota for its “distinctive” retro-inspired exterior style, and its straightforward driving experience, but adds that “the seven-seat cabin isn’t the most intuitive layout we’ve come across” and that it is rather expensive considering “that it’s powered by a relatively weak and noisy four-cylinder diesel.”
Keep in mind that its predecessor, removed from sale in 2023, was around £30k cheaper to buy new during its lifetime. That’s a significant price hike, and means that that seven-seat versions of the Land Rover Defender are the cheaper of the two.
For the increased price however, Heycar’s Matt Robinson says the Land Cruiser comes with “a newfound sense of luxury”. That said, he adds that the 4×4 “can’t quite compete in terms of plushness with the wares of the German big three.”
As of June 2025, the Toyota Land Cruiser has a New Car Expert Rating of D, with a score of 58%. The 4×4’s good-to-average review scores are hindered by a low eco rating and rather high running cost estimations.
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8 / 10 “The new Toyota Land Cruiser’s cool design and overhauled interior show it can be successfully modernised. The greatest improvement has to be the way it drives on the road, which no longer has to be a case of ‘I’ll put up with it because it’s great off-road’.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 8.4 / 10 “The Toyota Land Cruiser is an incredibly dependable and rugged, making one of best 4×4’s you can buy. There’s lots of interior space and clever off-roading equipment, making it a great choice for intrepid explorers heading off the beaten track.” Read review
Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 7 / 10 “The Toyota Land Cruiser is back, but it’s a little different on this occasion, blending the ruggedness we know it for with a newfound sense of luxury. The price has gone up, though, and you don’t have any choice in terms of powertrains or trim levels.” Author: Matt Robinson Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6 / 10 “The latest Land Cruiser is easily the most luxurious yet, but it can’t compete with similarly priced rivals in terms of plushness, refinement or on-road manners.” Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 6.6 / 10 “There are better road-biased SUVs for the money. A seven-seat Defender is significantly cheaper, a BMW X7 more spacious and luxurious, while a Jeep Wrangler is even better off-road. However, the Land Cruiser will almost certainly be the most dependable option.” Author: Alan Taylor-Jones Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview Score: 9 / 10 “Want a genuinely rugged off-roader that’s phenomenally capable, quietly desirable, will never let you down, is well kitted out yet manages to look cool? Here you go.” Author: Ollie Marriage Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of June 2025, the Toyota Land Cruiser has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of June 2025, the Toyota Land Cruiser has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
CO₂ output
Average
Score
Variation
Score
Diesel models
276 g/km
D
276 – 276 g/km
D – D
Insurance group
Average
Score
Variation
Score
All models
44
D
44 – 44
D – D
Service and maintenance
Cost
Score
Year 1
£301
C
Year 2
£760
C
Year 3
£1,211
C
Year 4
£1,449
C
Year 5
£1,829
C
Overall
£5,550
C
The Toyota Land Cruiser is an 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. That said, we are yet to receive fuel economy data for this new model.
The SUV’s insurance premiums are in a high bracket, though this isn’t much of a surprise given its size and price tag. The car’s estimated servicing and maintenance costs over the first five years of ownership total at around five-and-a-half thousand pounds. While there are cheaper family cars to run and maintain, this is fairly average cost prediction for a large SUV.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of June 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Toyota Land Cruiser 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 Land Cruiser, we’ll publish the results here.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Toyota Land Cruiser
As of June 2025, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Toyota Land Cruiser. 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 Toyota dealer.
A revised version of the Nissan Qashqai e-Power will arrive in September, giving the hybrid SUV better fuel economy, more power and a quieter driving experience.
Added to the Qashqai range back in 2022, this ‘e-Power’ version of the popular SUV has a unique hybrid powertrain setup that uses its petrol engine solely to generate energy for a battery, which in turn powers the electric motor that actually drives the front wheels.
After this update, the Qashqai e-Power is still assisted by a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine, but now comes with Nissan’s ‘STARC combustion concept’ that the brand says increases thermal efficiency, a 20hp boost and a larger turbocharger. The end result is lower engine revs at motorway cruising speeds and an improved fuel economy of 62mpg in the best conditions – up from 54mpg.
This 200hp electric motor and petrol engine e-Power system is also said to be 5.6 decibels quieter than the current version. UK pricing is yet to be announced – the new model arrives in the UK in September.
The revised Qashqai e-Power will be built at the brand’s plant in Sunderland, alongside the new all-electric Nissan Leaf crossover that is set to arrive in UK showrooms before the end of the year.
The third-generation Nissan Qashqai holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 75% in our Expert Rating index. It has an excellent safety rating and low average CO2 emissions, while its media review scores are also good. However, its running costs are only average while its reliability record is poor.
The next-generation all-electric Nissan Leaf has made its public debut with new SUV-style looks and a competitive battery range.
Set to challenge the sales of compact family-friendly EVs like the Kia EV3 and Volkswagen ID.3, the new Leaf is a very important high-sales model for Nissan. It will soon enter production at the brand’s factory in Sunderland, the manufacturer hoping that the crossover will soon become “a British-built electric car icon.”
The new model’s exterior styling is a marked departure from its hatchback predecessor – once the best-selling electric car worldwide. The car’s thin LED headlights give the model a similar appearance to the larger Ariya SUV, while the crossover’s ducktail rear end is inspired by Nissan models of the 1990s.
Nissan adds that the car’s sloping rear roofline makes it more aerodynamic. Overall the car has a drag coefficient of just 0.25, which should make the battery slightly more efficient.
More important however is the substance below the surface. Two powertrain options will be available at launch, starting with the 52kWh ‘Standard’ battery option. This entry-level version can reportedly muster up to 270 miles on a single charge.
The range-topper is the ‘Extended’ variant, which is powered by a larger 75kWh battery and can handle up to 375 miles without re-charging. By comparison, the top-spec 81kWh Kia EV3 can also officially travel 375 miles between charges, while the 79kWh Volkswagen ID.3 has a maximum travel distance of 369 miles.
Nissan claims that the Leaf can charge at DC speeds of up to 150kW, adding that 260 miles of charge can be added in 30 minutes.
While UK pricing and trim specifications are yet to be announced, we do know that the new Leaf will be offered with the choice of 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels and seven different colour options. A panoramic dimming glass sunroof is also offered, but not likely as standard.
A 14-inch digital instrument cluster and 14-inch central infotainment touchscreen with built-in Google apps are combined in a single display that juts out of the dashboard. Standard safety tech includes intelligent cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
The Leaf will also be offered with a premium Bose sound system and a 3D eight-point surround view parking camera with ‘invisible hood view’ and a ‘front wide view’ cameras for seeing past parked cars, but these are likely reserved for the highest trim level or the optional extras list.
Opening the electronically-powered boot lid reveals 469 litres of boot space, and Nissan adds that ‘selected variants’ also come with roof rails.
That sums up what we know about the new Nissan Leaf so far. More details, including pricing and the car’s official arrival date, are sure to be announced in the coming weeks. Check back soon!
Providing peace of mind and protection in the event of an accident, car safety features will always be an important factor for many when car shopping, particularly for those who are looking for their next family runaround.
Cars of every shape and size are getting safer and safer too, thanks to the increasing standards of crash avoidance technology expected of every new model. Car manufacturers are now fitting their cheapest models with on-board safety systems that only expensive luxury cars had a decade or so ago, partly thanks to increasingly strict government rules.
But, even though safety standards for new cars are consistently climbing across the board in the UK, there are a few models that our Expert Rating Index singles out from the rest of the competition.
All holding five-star safety scores from independent crash tester Euro NCAP, the new cars listed below have been commended for their adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection (mainly cyclists and pedestrians) and safety assistance technology (accident avoidance and mitigation), with high scores in each category.
How our safety rating scores are calculated
Our Safety Rating score uses a complex algorithm based on Euro NCAP testing results, using all four of Euro NCAP’s testing categories rather than just the headline score. This includes a complete breakdown of scores for adults, children, pedestrians and assist systems, so you can see the information that matters most to you.
Euro NCAP scores expire after six or seven years, as the scoring criteria gets tougher each year and cars that were tested several years ago can no longer be guaranteed of maintaining their initial score. A car may be re-tested if it’s still on sale, which happened in the case of the Tesla Model 3 below, although this doesn’t always happen.
Euro NCAP testing gets tougher almost every year, so a five-star score from 2022 doesn’t necessarily equate to a five-star result in 2025. To account for this, and to factor in the seven-year expiry period, our safety rating algorithm contains an age factor as well.
Highlighted by our Expert Rating Index, all of these cars are fitted with features to both help prevent collisions and protect occupants if a crash can’t be avoided. These include autonomous emergency braking, software to detect driver fatigue and a system to notify emergency services when a crash happens.
On sale since 2019 but recently re-assessed by Euro NCAP after the saloon’s major mid-life update, the Tesla Model 3 has the highest safety rating in our Expert Rating index.
The electric car’s re-test has returned another outstanding set of scores, including the highest scores in Euro NCAP’s child protection and vulnerable road user protection categories of any car on this list.
Euro NCAP has also awarded the car a ‘Moderate’ assisted driving grade, praising the car for its exceptional safety assistance technology, including its class-leading adaptive cruise control and steering assistance tech. It’s not, as Tesla describes, an autopilot function where the car can drive itself. But the combination of Tesla’s various tech systems as a safety net for the driver is better than anything else on sale.
The Tesla Model 3 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 86%. This is the highest score in our Expert Rating index by some margin.
Put through its crash test paces by Euro NCAP last year, the upmarket Mercedes-Benz E-Class has the best safety credentials of any petrol/diesel/hybrid-powered model in our Expert Rating index.
The executive saloon and estate range is held in high regard by Euro NCAP, achieving impressive scores in each assessment category. The car also comes with Mercedes’ ‘Car-to-X Communication’ – award-winning software that allows cars to notify each other of hazards in real time to help prevent accidents.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 75%.
Another excellent all-rounder recommended due to its top-class safety, the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7 was one of the most impressive cars Euro NCAP assessed in 2023, and the crash testers gave the car a very high ‘adult occupant protection’ score.
The Volkswagen ID.7 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 81%.
It’s been on sale since 2014 – although with plenty of updates over the last decade – but the Tesla Model S is still one of the safest new cars you can buy in the UK today. Tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, the Tesla scores top marks for its exceptional safety assistance technology. This tech is crucial as – obviously – avoiding an accident altogether is better than surviving one.
The Tesla Model S currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 77%.
The fifth-generation Lexus RX SUV impressed Euro NCAP testers when it was put through its safety paces in late 2022, achieving high scores in every category. The car’s particular stand-out trait is its ‘vulnerable road user protection’ score (pedestrians and cyclists).
The Lexus RX currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 73%.
One of the most recent arrivals on this safety leaderboard, the large Polestar 3 SUV passed its Euro NCAP safety assessments with flying colours back in April – its family car credentials bolstered by exceptional adult and child protection scores.
The Polestar 3 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 77%.
Formerly the manufacturer of pint-sized electric city cars, Smart is now establishing itself as a family-focused marque with safety as a core design goal. The brand boasts about the safety credentials of its electric #3 SUV, which scored high marks in every Euro NCAP assessment category.
The Smart #3 currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 78%.
Put through its paces in 2024, the Q6 e-tron is a sign of what’s to come from Audi, including the brand’s latest class-leading safety tech. The large SUV achieved stand-out scores in Euro NCAP’s adult and child protection assessment categories.
The Audi Q6 e-tron currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 77%.
The Tesla Model Y aced its Euro NCAP safety tests in 2022. As with all Tesla vehicles, the driver assistance technology is the best around, and the Model Y also achieved Euro NCAP’s highest-ever adult protection score. The other scores, for children and other road users, are excellent as well.
The Tesla Model Y currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 77%.
Winner of The Car Expert’sBest Estate Car 2025 award, the fourth-generation Skoda Superb range is an excellent family car choice with ‘Superb’ safety credentials. The Skoda underwent Euro NCAP testing after its launch in 2024, and achieved a particularly impressive adult protection score.
The Skoda Superb currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A in our Expert Rating Index, with a score of 80%.
Featuring petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid variants, the compact third-generation Audi Q3 SUV range is arriving this Summer with three different trims to choose from.
Built on the same foundations as the Audi A3, Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan, this latest iteration of the Audi Q3 features refreshed exterior looks and a new tech-laden interior layout.
Starting with the outside, which Audi says “exudes self-confidence and emotion”, the new Q3 sports slimmer LED headlights and a new front grille design flanked by a set of hidden main headlights that feature optional matrix beams. Using very similar design language, the compact SUV looks like a smaller version of the recently-launched Q5 SUV from the front.
In the rear, the Q3 takes more design inspiration from the latest A6 Avant estate, with a thin daytime running light that stretches across the boot lid, below slim angular LED tail lights. The SUV sits on 17-inch alloys as standard, though 18-, 19- and 20-inch alloy options will also be available on higher trim levels or the options list. 11 exterior colour options will be offered, some of which are exclusive to the Q3 range.
The new Q3 shares some of its engine options with the A3 hatchback and saloon range, which are more fuel efficient than the former Q3 powertrain line-up. The range begins with a front-wheel drive 1.5-litre ‘TFSI 150hp’ petrol mild-hybrid and a ‘TDI 150hp’ diesel.
Not available at launch but arriving a few months later, the next step up is the all-wheel drive ‘TFSI quattro 204hp’ petrol. This is followed by the more powerful all-wheel drive 2.0-litre ‘TSFI quattro 265hp’ petrol, and finally the flagship 272hp ‘SUVe-hybrid’ plug-in hybrid, which pairs a 28kWh battery and electric motor with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, returning an electric only travel range of up to 74 miles. This plug-in hybrid is arriving slightly later in August. All models are only available with an automatic gearbox.
Inside, the SUV pairs a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 13-inch infotainment touchscreen on a reconfigured dashboard with the panel of shortcut buttons removed in favour of shortcut tabs on the infotainment screen. The gear selector has been moved from the centre console to a new wrap-around panel mounted to the steering wheel column.
In the rear, the Q3 offers 575 litres of boot space with the second row in place, rising to 1,386 litres when the rear seats are folded.
Pricing for the new SUV range will start at just over £38k for the ‘TSFI 150hp’ in the entry-level ‘Sport’ trim, rising to £51k for the ‘SUVe-hybrid’ in the top-spec ‘Edition 1’ guise.
Kia is picking up the pace of its performance electric vehicles with two new GT models – the upgraded EV6 GT and brand-new EV9 GT.
The EV6 GT is belatedly making a return to the line-up this summer after being taken off sale when the rest of the EV6 range was updated last year. The EV9 GT, on the other hand, is a new addition to the EV9 range.
The upgraded Kia EV6 GT
The updated EV6 GT has improved performance and is powered by a larger battery pack than the previous model (84kWh vs 77kWh), which gives it an official driving range of 279 miles if you can resist using all its considerable performance, which consists of a 0 to 62mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 161mph. Kia claims that it’s the fastest-accelerating car that the company has ever produced.
As well as the same upgrades found in the latest versions of regular EV6 models, the GT now pumps out a colossal 480kW (650hp) of power and 770Nm of torque. Those numbers are 11% and 4% better than the not-exactly-slow previous model. The new model also offers what Kia calls Virtual Gear Shift technology, simulating a six-speed paddle-operated transmission.
As with the previous EV6 GT, the updated model is pretty stealthy in disguising its stunning performance. If you look hard, you’ll find neon green brake callipers, neon green piping throughout the interior, and a neon green ‘GT’ button on the steering wheel., But there are no massive wheels or crazy body kit – and obviously no burbling exhaust note to give the game away.
The upgraded model also features an enhanced GT Mode, a dedicated drive mode that sharpens up steering responses. GT Mode also changes the 12-inch driver display screen, with neon green details and a new font for the speed and range readouts.
Pricing for the Kia EV6 GT starts at £60K and you can buy one from your local Kia dealer today.
The new Kia EV9 GT
Kia has applied its GT magic to a second EV in its ever-growing range, the EV9 large SUV. It’s a slightly less overwhelming performance package than the EV6 GT, with ‘merely’ 375kW (510hp) of power and 740Nm of torque directed to all four wheels.
You’ll still be first to the school gates with a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 136mph, and if you don’t go anywhere near either of those numbers, you may get somewhere close to the official driving range of 280 miles from the EV9’s 100kW battery.
As you’d expect, the Kia EV9 GT also features all the driver assistance systems found on the regular EV9. In addition, the Intelligent Speed Limit Assist is now customisable, allowing the driver to adjust the over-speed warning on the EV9 GT.
Over and above the conventional EV9, the GT’s added power is supported by electronically controlled suspension as standard, as well as a predictive system to detect and react to changing road surfaces.
As with the EV6 GT, the EV9 model only offers subtle hints at the performance contained underneath. There are new 21-inch alloy wheels and upgraded brakes, and similar neon green highlights both inside and out.
Like the GT-Line S version of the regular EV9 range, you can spec your EV9 GT with either six or seven seats, depending on whether you want a three-seat bench or two individual chairs in the middle row.
Pricing for the Kia EV9 GT starts at just over £82K. You can place an order today, with first customer cars expected sometime in September.
Those who remember the 1970s and ’80s will also recall the very cheap new cars that came into the UK from the Communist countries of Eastern Europe and Russia, wearing nameplates such as Lada and FSO. For most the only attraction was the price and very few survive today.
One former Communist maker, however, has not only survived but flourished. The Romanian firm Dacia effectively built its reputation by assembling badge-engineered Renaults, continually updating them to extend the lifespan of a single model to more than 35 years.
Eventually, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Renault stepped in to buy up Dacia and turn it into a proper Western car maker, but with one basic trait remaining – its cars would always be among the cheapest on the market.
That philosophy remains today and, despite adverse headlines for its poor safety ratings, Dacia appears in rude health, adopting the new challenges in its established way. The new Dacia Spring is the company’s first electric vehicle and yes, challenging for the title of cheapest EV you can buy.
The Dacia company had its beginnings in the 1960s in Romania, then a part of the Soviet Union – the company name comes from the historical Roman region of Dacia that is today known as Romania. The first factory in the area was opened during the second world war to produce aircraft engines, and afterwards was taken over by the Romanian railways and would eventually form the basis of Dacia car production.
Dacia had a Renault connection from the start – the Renault 8 was built under licence as the Dacia 1100, selling more than 37,000 between 1968 and 1972.
The 1100 was followed by the 1300, a much more modern car launched in 1969 and effectively the Renault 12, Dacia having acquired the design and tooling for the car. The 1300 spawned estate and even pick-up variants, and Dacia could not build them fast enough to keep up with customer demand in Romania.
Dacia briefly made its own version of the Renault 20 in the early 1980s but the co-operation with Renault then foundered and plans for future models were dropped. The company continued to rely on various versions of the 1300, including a model sold in the UK as the Dacia Denem. Parts from the 1300, meanwhile, were used in a car made by another Romanian manufacturer of off-road vehicles called ARO, and when sold in the UK the ARO10 became the first Dacia Duster.
1980 Dacia ARO102024 Dacia Duster
Dacia continued with a wide variety of new model ideas, all based on the 1300 and some surviving in production to the noughties. Much of the development was carried out in secret and Dacia enthusiasts today still try to unravel the extent of the rare and sometimes novel versions of the 1300 that were produced over the years.
Not until 1994 did an all-new model appear in the Dacia range – this was the Nova, a three-box saloon on which development work had started some 11 years earlier. As a result even as it launched it looked dated amongst rivals, while questions over its reliability and durability ensured it was never as popular as the 1300 variants, the last of which was launched in 1998. Despite being based on a car now some 30 years old, its €4,200 starting price maintained its popularity.
The big change in Dacia’s fortunes came with the reappearance of Renault, which snapped up the Romanian manufacturer in 1999, planning to concentrate its production for central and eastern Europe in Romania. The first new model after the Renault takeover was an improved version of the Nova with a Renault engine and gearbox, called the SupeRNova, but it was merely a stopgap car as Renault prepared for what followed.
This was the Dacia Logan, launched in 2004 and promoted as the ‘€5,000 Car’, Renault signifying Dacia’s future as the French giant’s budget brand. While never quite reaching that price level, the Logan became a phenomenal success, popular in many countries and a best-seller in Romania, across central Europe and even in Russia.
The 2010s marked a decade of substantial European expansion for Dacia, as Renault pushed the brand into new markets with its full support. The Duster returned in 2010, now as an SUV in both two and four-wheel drive variants. Models like the Logan estate and Sandero went on sale in the UK in 2013, and while the former was discontinued in 2020, the latest Duster and Sandero models remain at the core of the Dacia range today, the latter also available in a more rugged version called the Sandero Stepway.
New models have also joined the family in recent years. The Jogger is a compact people-carrier, while the new Bigster SUV (is as its name suggests) Dacia’s largest model yet. But it is the Spring, launched in 2025, that is making the most headlines, preserving Dacia’s traditional image by claiming to be the cheapest electric vehicle on the UK market.
What models does Dacia have and what else is coming?
The Dacia Duster small SUV remains as the core model in the Romanian maker’s line-up and is now in its third generation, launched in 2024 and now only offered with petrol and hybrid powertrains. The latest model is noticeably improved over its predecessor, especially the interior, while still retaining its bargain basement status. It earns an overall New Car Expert Rating of B from The Car Expert, though its safety specification only merits a C – below-average safety scores being a recurring theme with Dacia models.
The current Sandero small hatchback – along with its Sandero Stepway sibling – has been around since 2021, although unlike the previous model, this one is no longer the cheapest new car on sale. While praised for its comfort and practicality, the Sandero is let down by a damning two-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. The car also remains available with the option of a dual-fuel petrol/LPG engine instead of the normal 90hp petrol unit.
People carriers are a rarity on the market these days and the Dacia Jogger is one of the newest, on sale from 2022. It’s essentially a stretched Sandero with another pair of seats, which makes it the cheapest way of having seven seats in a new car. That should make it hugely popular, but while the comfort and practicality themes of other Dacia models apply here, the safety issues get even worse. Due to poor protection for those in the rear-most seats, Euro NCAP awarded the Jogger a disastrous one-star safety rating.
The most recent arrival in the Dacia showroom takes the firm’s budget credentials into the electric market. The Spring is the cheapest electric car you can buy, though a host of budget rivals are on their way. It’s basic, not exactly quick which many EVs are, and it can only go an official 140 miles between charges. But again, the big drawback is safety, with the Spring matching the very poor one-star Euro NCAP rating for the Jogger.
Hitting UK roads in the summer of 2025 is Dacia’s newest – and largest – model, called the Bigster. It is trying to be a bargain basement model in a market in which bargain basement isn’t really a thing, and it will be interesting to see if what has worked for Dacia in the smaller car sectors continues to do so in the very competitive compact SUV sector. One positive point though – the Bigster has improved Dacia’s woeful Euro NCAP showings, managing three stars.
What will follow the Bigster remains to be seen. Dacia is known to be working on a mid-sized hatchback to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra. When or even if it will launch any time soon is yet to be revealed, and there could be a saloon variant too.
Some reports also suggest that Dacia is working on a replacement for the Spring small electric city car, based on the latest Renault Twingo and a car that could launch within two years. Althouigh the Spring has only recently arrived in the UK, it has been on sale in Europe since 2021 so it is already in the second half of a regular seven-year model cycle.
Where can I try a Dacia car?
It’s quite easy to find your nearest Dacia dealer – seek out your local Renault outlet, and more often than not the badge of Dacia will be alongside it.
There are around 140 outlets spread across the UK, and being allied to Renault is a boon when it comes to aftersales, as the entire Renault network is available to Dacia owners for their servicing.
What makes Dacia different to the rest?
Dacia makes no attempt to glamourise its sales philosophy – basically as cheap as possible. The firm’s vehicles are the epitome of the bargain basement car, giving customers the choice of a new car for the price of a used one from other brands.
Dacia’s Romanian home is now very much part of Europe, and ensconced under the wing of Renault its cars are built to the standards expected by European buyers. While the less-than-normal safety ratings remain a concern, generally by choosing a Dacia, you won’t get any of the bells and whistles that are the norm with cars from other brands, but your money will go a long way.
A Dacia fact to impress your friends
In communist times, savvy buyers in Dacia’s home country of Romania would go abroad to buy their car, rather than purchasing from their local dealer.
Popular belief held that there were two production lines in the factory, with one building cars for export using better-quality parts than those on the cars intended for domestic sale.
Dacia 1300 Break
Summary
Dacia continues to provide a new-car option for those buyers who normally wouldn’t have the money to buy one. Its offerings are unashamedly budget but, thanks to its tie-up with Renault, without the inherent risks that once came with buying at the bottom end of the market.
While the pressure on the lower end of the car market has never been higher, thanks chiefly to the influx of several new Chinese entrants, we can expect Dacia to keep following the same path that has worked very well for the brand.
