Welcome to the August 2026 edition of Southern Group Happenings! As the British summer holidays hit full swing, our members have been keeping the automotive content machine spinning – all while dodging the holiday traffic, sampling the latest new cars, and creating headlines.
In this month’s edition, we’ve got our usual round-up of the best new car reveals – alongside our road test winners and losers to see who earned high praise and who missed the mark. Read on for all the highlights from last month.
SGMW Heritage Day: 2026 Edition
Last month the SGMW’s annual Heritage Day was held at Beaulieu Motor Museum, and the 2026 iteration was another brilliant event.
A record-equalling 20 manufacturers attended on the day, all bringing an eclectic mix of modern and classic machinery along on the day alongside a wealth of classic and modern metal owned by members. A total of 66 people were in attendance, with 24 group members joined by 42 PR friends. Along with a total of 42 cars to test, ranging from a second-gen Fiesta XR2 all the way to the monstrous Iveco S-Way CNG ‘Force of Nature’, which weighs some 9,000kg.
Highlights gallery:
You can read the full low-down on the day here.
SGMW New Car Reveals: August 2026
The benchmark for the high-performance AMG model shifted dramatically in several ways last month with the debut of the new Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. Firstly, it’s fully electric, secondly, it comes in both saloon and swoopy Shooting Brake flavours, with both packing a colossal 671bhp from a revolutionary three-motor axial-flux powertrain, hitting 0-62 mph in just 2.7 seconds.
In SUVs, because we don’t have enough of them already, the new Lepas L6 EV entered the fray as a sharply styled tech-laden upmarket contender to challenge established European favourites like the Skoda Elroq and Nissan Leaf.
At the luxury end of the market, Audi’s massive new flagship SUV made its official UK debut, with the vast Q9 hitting UK showrooms priced from £103,900 for the Edition 1, climbing to £113,250 for the flagship Vorsprung model – both with the ‘toothy’ grille as standard. Keeping proceedings upmarket were Lamborghini, who quietly pulled the wraps off the Temerario Tricolore alongside the Revuelto SV at Monterey Car Week. With the former featuring a stunning bespoke tri-tone livery and Italian flag racing stripes celebrating national craftsmanship.
At the more affordable end of the market, Geely injected fresh momentum into its expanding lineup with the introduction of the Monjaro EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV. A seven-seat model that brings e-AWD capability and a long list of standard equipment to family buyers.
Lastly, Hyundai opened order books for its stylish electric hatchback, with the new Hyundai Ioniq 3 hitting the UK market with pricing starting at under £22,000. A price point that positions it as a major budget-friendly EV contender.
SGMW Test Drive Watch: Winners And Losers
A round of applause for the winners
Kicking the month off on a high note, the new Kia K4 Sportswagon hit the road and immediately impressed road testers with its smart design, generous cabin space, and compelling family-friendlyness. Who said estate cars were dead? Not Kia that’s for sure.
Rounding out the winners, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa delivered plenty of sports saloon thrills by wowing testers with its razor-sharp handling and raw, twin-turbocharged V6 authentic Italian soundtrack.
Lastly, we pivot back to Kia, whose latest small SUV, the EV2 Long Range, proved a massive hit in the small with motoring scribes thanks to its impressive battery range and clever packaging that punches well above its weight.
And a slow clap for the losers
Moving swiftly over to the losers, the LEPAS L8 took a bit of a beating. Despite its efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain and striking stance, testers found that its powertrain refinement and clumsy handling on UK B-roads left it trailing behind more polished established rivals in the large SUV class.
SGMW Web Watch:
Kia EV2 review: small, affordable, efficient and practical – what’s not to like? – Cameron Richards
Is the Kia EV2 primed to elbow it’s to the top of the small cars sales charts? Cameron Richards puts the new small Ford Puma rival to the test to find out. (teaser, it’s very good).
Read the Motoring Talk review here
Porsche 911 Spirit 70 review: Pure high-octane racing theatre – Jim McGill
The Porsche 911 Spirit 70 is the third model to get the brand’s heritage treatment, but is it worth the extra premium over a regular 911? Jim McGill spent a week with 541bhp drop-top to find out.
Donkervoort P24 RS 2026 review – Tim Pitt
“What the hell is a Donkervoort?” is one of the many questions that Tim Pitt got asked when testing the Dutch brand’s new P24 roadster. But worry not, Tim answers all of the questions in his review for Motoring Research.
Read the Motoring Research review here
Long-term test: Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid – Shane Wilkinson
For anyone that knows Shane Wilkinson, it’s obvious he has a love for small cars. And now, he’s got a new one in the form of a Fiat Grande Hybrid for his first ever long termer. A relationship that got off to a slightly bumpy start.
Read the Auto Express Long Term report here
SGMW Social Watch:
Kicking off proceedings is Ben Hodges, who may have fallen a bit in love with a two-decade old BMW. Although in this case it is a very special one.
The National Alfa Day took place at Bicester last month, where Julian Rendell captured lots of lovely Italian metal.
Stu Bird went full retro at the SGMW Heritage Drive Day with the vintage Ford XR2.
Tim Pitt brings us the car spot to end all car spots in the form of the modded Toyota Hilux by Arctic Trucks that was used in the Top Gear Polar Special. Very cool.
