2025 Mazda CX-80 review: flagship-worthy style, tech, and smoothness
One of the interesting asides in attending a car driving day is the random bits of knowledge you pick up along the way. I was invited to attend the Mazda CX-80 event at Amber Lakes just off the M25 near Heathrow airport. I stopped to take some pictures in a lay-by on the complex before […]
Southern Group Happenings: December 2024
As the calendar clicked onto December with the end of the year now firmly on the horizon and the Christmas list being hastily written, the Southern Group kept up their productive pace in the run-up to the festive season. Yes, there was the usual number of automotive-themed events, free calendars, some Christmas gifts from manufacturers, […]
Southern Group Membership update: January 2025
As the Southern Group swiftly moves into 2025, the committee is pleased to announce the arrival of two new members, with Shane Wilkinson and Glenn Brooks both joining late last month. Shane Wilkinson: Auto Express Shane, who is currently Senior Content Editor at Auto Express, has only been in the field of automotive journalism since […]
Southern Group members triumph at annual Guild of Motoring Writers Awards
Last month’s annual Guild of Motoring Writers (GOMW) Awards saw Southern Group members triumph in a winning end to the year. The 2024 GOMW Awards presentation was held on 5th December at the RAC venue in Pall Mall, London, with the Guild celebrating a milestone 80th year in existence. SGMW 2025 NEW YEAR HONOURS AND […]
SGMW 2025 NEW YEAR HONOURS AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Star cars and PRs who go the extra mile have been recognised in the 2025 Southern Group of Motoring Writers New Year Honours. The SGMW annual awards, the first of the year, recognise the outstanding efforts of manufacturers, PR teams and individuals who excelled bringing new models to the market and helping SGMW members over […]
Southern Group Happenings: November 2024
As the end of the year fast approaches, the frantic activity of the Southern Group members has continued. Last month saw one of our members depart X (formerly Twitter) for a new social media platform, along with a surge of road tests, news, features, and the very welcome arrival of a new member. Here, you’ll […]
SGMW Member’s Cars: Richard Gooding’s 2014 Volkswagen Polo BlueGT
When did you get your car and why did you pick it? I bought my Volkswagen Polo BlueGT in September 2021, to replace my almost 20-year-old Polo GTI after it got written off – going to a car enthusiast event, ironically – in June of that year after 10 years of careful, almost fanatical ownership. […]
2024 Isuzu D-Max V-Cross STEEL Edition review
BACK in 2012 Isuzu launched the D-Max to replace the Rodeo, and over the intervening years it has become a firm favourite with farmers and tradespeople alike for its hardworking credentials, known for being tough and reliable. It is a pick-up that just gets on with the job without fuss day in day out and […]
Southern Group happenings: October 2024
As autumn arrives in the UK, the members of the SGMW have continued to be as busy as ever. Last month, highlights from our members included (yet more) camping on top of cars, a varied mix of new drives, the reveal of the first-ever Kia pickup, and of course a large number of social media […]
Southern Group Happenings: September 2024
As the year heads on towards the colder months, the month of September typically offers a final glimpse of summer coinciding the SMMT regional test days. With the latter giving members a final chance to get together to test some cars ahead of our New Year Honours awards. As usual, the SGMW members have been […]