#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
The BYD Seal is an EV saloon from China’s biggest maker of new energy vehicles. And it’s rather good! Now, it’s joined by another Seal – except this one isn’t a saloon; it’s an SUV. What’s more, it’s not even an EV – it’s a plug-in hybrid! Should it feature on your next family car buying shortlist? Well, let’s find out.
So, I was coming back from a media launch drive of a brand new, shiny, tech-laden, plug-in hybrid family SUV, boasting an impressive list of features longer than the Pan-American Highway. Yet, I couldn’t help but ponder that whilst it was undeniably brilliant, my pituitary gland remained decidedly indifferent. Despite having over 300bhp under my right foot, where were the coursing endorphins and the dopamine hit? Oh wait, I’ve found them…
I know what you’re thinking… lately, I’ve been thinking it too – cars and the car industry… things are… well, I don’t know, they’re not quite as they should be, as they used to be, right? And that’s putting it lightly. Somewhere, there’s a serious misfire happening, and gears are grinding to a halt. So what’s gone wrong? Where, when, how? Well, let’s get into that, right after this.
Do I have a treat for you! This past weekend, I was at the amazing West London Classics Show & Shine 2024 event, mingling with fellow petrolheads and getting some fantastic vox-pop interviews. If you’re as passionate about cars as I am, you’re going to love this video.
Right, so you might remember that I made a couple of videos in the last few months about how the next generation, younger people, are not getting into motoring as much as our generation did. And I’ve been quite fair in saying that, considering the cost and everything involved in the process, it does make perfect sense. But hold on, because there’s some new evidence that’s just come to light, thanks to Auto Trader, that might make me rethink that stance. Either I jumped to that conclusion too quickly, or maybe things are changing.
This is the new 2024 MG3 Hybrid, priced from just £18,500. The third generation of the compact city car from Chinese-owned MG, that takes inspiration from the big brother MG4 EV in terms of design but aims to add style to practical and affordable motoring.
In a world where technological advancements are rapidly changing the way we view driving, the concept of keeping a low mileage car has become increasingly outdated and wasteful. As a passionate car enthusiast, I believe it’s time we re-evaluate our approach to car usage. Low mileage cars are a mistake. We should be driving our cars more than ever before!
It’s been quite a few years since Imthishan Giado and I last sat down for a good, old-fashioned chat. As former business partners and good friends, we’ve shared countless memories during our time at Car Middle East and Motoring Middle East. Yesterday, we found ourselves in a sunny corner of London, reminiscing about the good old days and reflecting on how the car culture in the UAE has evolved over the years over a cup of coffee.
Six months on from the expansion of ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) to cover the whole of London, in August 2023 and the London Mayor still hasn’t released impact data to prove that it’s improved the air quality in the expanded zones. And it won’t be released until after the elections in May 2024. However, I shot two videos last year, taking an ELITECH Temptop air quality meter around London, covering firstly the previous ULEZ zone in part 1 and the proposed area of expansion in Part 2. This means I can directly compare my findings today, six months on from the expansion to the data I had before, to see if there has been any improvement in air quality. This is what I do in this video. And the results may surprise you – they certainly astonished me!
New 2024 Series 12 of Car S.O.S (the car show with a heart!) begins on Thursday, 7th March 2024 at 8.00pm on the National Geographic Channel. See my exclusive interview with TV presenters Tim Shaw & Fuzz Townshend in this brilliant podcast! 🤩 We talk about cars and episodes of the new series plus the important connections we have with our cars!
