#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
There’s a new EV player in town – and it goes by the name Xpeng. If you’ve never heard of them, don’t worry, you will. Xpeng is one of the latest Chinese electric vehicle brands to enter the UK market, and their first offering here is this: the G6, a mid-size coupe-SUV aimed squarely at buyers considering a Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and even the BYD Sealion 7.
Subaru doesn’t do things like everyone else. While most brands chase style over substance, dazzle you with tech, and try to convince you how sustainable-savvy they are, Subaru quietly gets on with making tough, dependable all-wheel-drive SUVs that outlive most of their owners’ vegetable patches (as they witness weeds reclaim their allotment ambitions).
The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTE is a plug-in hybrid that’s as much about efficiency as it is about delivering a fun drive. Think of it as a Golf GTI, that’s actually a hybrid, and that can drive over 80 miles on electric power alone! Finished in a pastel egg-shell (or Crystal Ice if you’re being official) Blue, this GTE looks the part with subtle blue accents on the grille and badging, setting it apart from its petrol-powered siblings. But is it just another Golf with a plug, or does it bring something special to the table? Let’s take it for a spin and find out.
This is exciting – getting behind the wheel of the 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t he already review the Golf GTI?” True (link below), but this isn’t the regular GTI; this is the Clubsport – a souped-up version with a bit more oomph, aimed squarely at those of us who want a little more spice from our hot hatches. The previous edition was the pick of the pack – let’s see if this Clubsport lives up to the hype.
This is the all-new second-generation MG ZS, tested here in Hybrid+ form in the top-of-the-range Trophy spec. Slightly bigger, with more features, and prices only up by around £1,000, it remains a competitive B-segment SUV.
The Volvo EX30 is the baby SUV in the Swedish brand’s electric SUV lineup, and it’s making quite a statement. Billed as a compact crossover, it offers a blend of stylish design, advanced technology, and the kind of practicality we’ve come to expect from Volvo. Plus of course, solid quality and assured safety. But with a starting price of £33,795, can it really deliver on all fronts? I got behind the wheel of the Single Motor Extended Range RWD Ultra, priced at £42,045, to find out.
MG is truly on a roll, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and marking it with the launch of several new cars, including their UK best-seller, the all-new 2025 MG HS. With over 57,000 units sold in the UK alone, the MG HS is now the eighth best-selling car in the country this year. This isn’t just a facelift; it’s a full-blown second-generation model based closely on the Chinese third-gen Roewe RX5 introduced in 2022.
This Kia EV9 is a behemoth with enough boot space (despite three rows of seats) to accommodate all the awards it’s been winning! But is it a worthy winner? This huge electric SUV, available in rear-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive, seems to think it’s an MPV (people carrier) when it comes to the inside.
Remember the days of the hot hatch battles, where every manufacturer from Ford to Peugeot and Honda would vie for the crown with the standard-bearing Volkswagen Golf GTI? Frankly, they appear to be over. And the VW has emerged victorious by dint of being the last man standing.
In the past whenever a family was in need of a vehicle that could carry them and all their ‘stuff’ or which could double as a business vehicle, or if you had dogs, then you’d get yourself an estate car, or a station wagon as it’s known across the pond.
