2026 Kia EV2 review: Small, affordable, efficient and practical – what’s not to like?
The compact electric car market is growing and Kia is entering this fiercely competitive segment with its new baby offering – the EV2. The EV2 is Kia’s smallest EV to date and is going up against the Ford Puma Gen-E and Citroen e-C3, providing funky looks, efficient powertrains and a practical interior. So, has Kia […]
2026 SGMW Heritage Day: a scorching day of brilliant classics and newcomers
If there’s one event where members of the Southern Group of Motoring Writers are likely to actually turn up in their own cars, instead of in a new, shiny test car, it’s the annual Heritage Day at Beaulieu. For the 2026 event – the ninth held by the Southern Group – a record-equalling 20 manufacturers […]
SGMW Happenings: July 2026
Welcome to the July 2026 edition of Southern Group Happenings! While the British summer heatwave continues to test the nation’s patience, SGMW members have continued to be out in full force, keeping the automotive content machine running at the redline without overheating. Latest: 2026 Kia Driving Day: Roundabouts, Test Drives, and a Lonely Sportage In […]
2026 Kia Driving Day: Roundabouts, Test Drives, and a Lonely Sportage
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 […]
Southern Group Happenings: June 2026
Phew, assuming you haven’t melted, welcome to the June 2026 roundup of all things Southern Group. While the Great British summer is busy doing its best impression of a fan oven, the SGMW’s members haven’t slowed down for a second. In fact, despite the blistering heat, our membership was busy cranking plenty of new content […]
Ride Review: Classic comeback – Kawasaki KLE500 SE
Kawasaki has revived its KLE500 as a modern adventure bike. Andy Russell takes it for a spin for Orwell Motorcycles at Ipswich. Three success stories in the motorcycle world are the popularity of adventure bikes, mid-capacity models and classic comebacks. Adventure bikes are practical, 350 to 500cc models are driving sales and retro revivals are […]
Southern Group Happenings: May 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the SGMW Happenings, the monthly round-up of what the group’s members got up to last month. In May 2026, our members have certainly got out and about driving a variety of new cars as well as creating breaking news about new ones. The highlights include a crop of new […]
Review | 2026 Alpine A290 GTS: a genuinely fun electric hot hatch
As EVs arrive in showrooms in ever-increasing numbers on a monthly basis, there is one niche that looks to be neglected: the hot hatchback. Now French sports car maker Alpine is having a crack with this, the A290 GTS. A fully electric hot hatch boasting quick performance, a taut chassis, and enough practicality so you […]
Southern Group Happenings: April 2026
Last month was a bumper month in automotive and for Southern Group members. A quick rough count of new content produced by our members stood at over fifty articles and videos, as well as many more print exclusives. The car industry was also busy in April as well. With a veritable flurry of new car […]
Southern Group Happenings: March 2026
In March, Southern Group members drove a wide range of new models from the latest Chinese SUVs, updated supercars, EVs, and even a plug-in hybrid. Of all the things to drive in 2026. As well as some in-depth advice on the best small SUVs to buy. In new car news, there were big reveals for […]