For the 2026 edition of the Southern Group of Motoring Writers (SGMW) Kia Driving Day, members gathered at the Horwood House Hotel in Little Horwood, Milton Keynes. On the day, Kia amassed a considerable fleet of its latest models in all sizes. The stage was set for a day of road testing, mileage crunching, and debates over coffee.
Kia UK laid on an impressive fleet of 14 vehicles for the day, offering a glimpse into the brand’s rapidly evolving, electrified present and future – alongside a smattering of internal combustion and hybrid models.
The Numbers Game: All of the stats
After a day of test drives, the SGMW members gathered for dinner with the Kia PR team, where Dan Sayles, UK Head of Press and Public Relations, brought out his calculator to crunch all of the important numbers.
Throughout the day, SGMW members racked up 49 total test drives, covering a collective 771 miles in total – averaging 15 miles per test drive.
To put this distance into perspective, 771 miles is far enough to drive from Milton Keynes straight to Prague, Nice, or Barcelona. 327 laps of the Thruxton Race Circuit. Alternatively, and very much inspired by local landmarks, this distance is enough to complete 2,600 laps of the Denby roundabout – Milton Keynes’ largest and finest asphalt carousel.
Winners, Losers, and Special Honours
As ever, the SGMW voted for the most popular cars by driving them, with an obvious winner and a long-standing favorite earning the least driven title of the day.
The Fan Favorite: 2026 Kia EV2 First Edition
Making its highly anticipated debut on British soil, the pint-sized Kia EV2 First Edition stole the spotlight entirely. As the latest entry point to Kia’s dedicated EV range, the SGMW members were practically queuing out the door to get behind the wheel of this little car.
It comfortably claimed the crown as the most popular car of the day, racking up 8 test drives and covering 118 miles as writers put its city-friendly packaging through its paces. Despite its popularity on the day, it still had range to spare at the end of the event.
The Unloved: Kia Sportage Pure
In a twist of irony, the least popular car on the day was the Kia Sportage Pure. Despite the brilliant Sportage being a best-seller in the UK, SGMW scribes gave it the cold shoulder on the day, logging only a single 8-mile test drive. Apparently, when surrounded by futuristic electric superminis, vans, and 570+ bhp performance SUV, sensible petrol family crossovers have a hard time competing for attention!
The long-distance specialist and the busiest member of the day
While technically not a test drive on the day, Maxine Ashford managed a colossal 142-mile test of the Kia EV9 GT with a cross-country run all the way from deepest darkest Wales to Milton Keynes. As Maxine was making her way to the event, and as it’s a hell of a shift, we’ll allow it.
The highest number of test drives was completed by the SGMW’s northernmost correspondent, Jim McGill. He proved his relentless work ethic on the day, completing an impressive 5 individual test drives across the fleet.
The final award is for the longest test drive of the day. And no, Stu Bird’s several-hour-long PV5 test wasn’t the winner. As the EV5 chalked up a 30-mile test route loop around the Buckinghamshire countryside.
The 2026 SGMW Kia Drive Day line-up
Here is the full 14-car roster available on the day:
Kia EV2 ‘First Edition’
Kia EV3 ‘GT-Line’
Kia EV4 ‘GT-Line S’
Kia EV5 ‘GT-Line S’
Kia EV4 ‘Air’
Kia EV6 GT
Kia EV9 ‘GT-Line S’
Kia EV9 GT
Kia PV5 Passenger ‘Plus’
Kia PV5 Cargo L2/H1 ‘Essential’
Kia Picanto ‘GT-Line S’
Kia Sportage ICE ‘Pure’
Kia Sorento HEV ‘Evolve’
Kia EV5 ‘Air’
SGMW members’ picks of the day
After the diminutive EV2 won the hearts of members on the day, we asked them for a few additional personal highlights from the day.
The Speed Demon: The heavy-hitting EV6 GT and the colossal EV9 GT provided plenty of neck-snapping acceleration along local back roads, proving that heavy electric haulers will make you grin.
The Commercial Star: Kia’s entry into commercial vehicles saw plenty of interest in the PV5 Passenger and PV5 Cargo models (with Stu Bird disappearing in one for several hours), proving that even van life can have a sleek, modern edge with bags of appeal.
The Hatchback Hero: The tiny Picanto GT-Line S in Adventurous Green reminded our members why lightweight, fun petrol hatchbacks still have a role to play, even in 2026.
Another great Kia Driving Day
At the evening dinner to celebrate the end of the drive day, SGMW chairman Ian Robertson said, “As always, everyone had a fantastic day today. We are all aware that budgets are tight, so on behalf of the Southern Group, we really do appreciate the massive support from the Kia team, and we’d like to say a massive thank you to Dan Sayles and his brilliant team for hosting a superb event today”.
