#BrownCarGuy – News, Views & Reviews!
In the world of city cars, the Kia Picanto has long been a favourite for its practicality, reliability, and value for money. The 2024 Kia Picanto GT-Line brings a fresh facelift to this third-generation model – and marks 20 years of the Picanto nameplate.
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.
The all-new 2024 Suzuki Swift is a rarity in the new car market. It’s compact, it’s not electric, it’s relatively affordable and it is offered with three pedals, a manual gearshift and a mechanical ratchet handbrake!
It’s one of Volkswagen’s global best-sellers and a favourite SUV for Europe. This is the new 2024 Tiguan, arriving on a new platform with a fresh blend of style, functionality, and performance, solidifying its position as a top contender in the market. There’s revised family face, spacious interior, ID-range inspired controls, advanced technology, and a refined driving experience.
It’s not often you do a comparison test of a make and model of car against the same make and model of car. In this case, we’re talking about the Mazda2 versus the new Mazda2 hybrid. Except that apart from the ‘Mazda2’ in the name, these cars are completely different. For one thing, the newer car is a hybrid, for another, it’s actually a rebadged Toyota Yaris hybrid!
Meet the newest, biggest and fanciest member of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID range of passenger cars. The ID.7 rolls out at nearly five metres long, sets a new benchmark for luggage capacity and yet achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.23 Cd, letting it slice through the air with the serenity of a swallow.
While at a Mazda Media Drive event at Bicester Heritage, I couldn’t resist taking the updated 2024 Mazda MX-5 RF for a drive, especially as the sun was shining and, just for a few hours, it had actually stopped raining!
It’s brand new, it’s electric, it’s Chinese and it’s inspired by the Ocean. Plus, it can accelerate from rest to 62mph in under four seconds, putting down over 500bhp through all four wheels. Meet the BYD Seal!
Check out my full review of the brand new 2024 Mazda MX-30 R-EV Plug-in Hybrid, with an all-new ROTARY (Wankel) engine acting as a range-extender hybrid. This responds to the previously launched MX-30 EV arguably having insufficient range at 125 miles. Full details and specifications of how it works, plus a look at the practicality, space, comfort, equipment and pricing, as well as taking it for an extended drive on a press launch across North Wales. Full written review below
