As winter arrives with a vengeance, and with Christmas now very much on the horizon, the members of the Southern Group have again been busy producing an array of new content throughout the (very) cold month of November.
Despite the wintry weather, the automotive industry has continued at a frantic pace with a number of new car reveals. Among the newcomers is the latest Porsche Panamera, which is faster and crammed with more tech than the outgoing car, along with the news that it’ll no longer be available in Sport Turismo estate form. For those needing more space, Volvo revealed the new EM90 MPV, a fully electric luxury people carrier that can carry six people.
Southern Group News: 2023 SGMW Heritage Drive Day
There were a couple of notable updates to popular models too, with Kia taking the wraps off its facelifted Sorento SUV, which sports a new look and improved tech. At the affordable end of the market though, the all-new Dacia Duster broke cover. A model that potentially has all the ingredients to be a bargain when it arrives next year, thanks to a sturdy yet stylish-looking new design, a hybrid powertrain and a vastly-improved interior.
SGMW DIGITAL ROUND UP:
MCLAREN 750S 2023 REVIEW – TIM PITT
Tim Pitt gets behind the wheel of the ‘30 percent new’ McLaren 750S, a model that replaces the brilliant 720S, to find out if the latest supercar from the Woking outfit is a match for its Italian rivals.
Read the full review on Motoring Research here
VOLKSWAGEN CRAFTER FACELIFT REVEALED WITH DIGITAL COCKPIT AND IMPROVED SAFETY – PHIL HUFF
Volkswagen is preparing an update for its popular Crafter van for 2024 with an array of technology upgrades inside, and a lightly-facelifted redesign outside. Phil Huff runs through the details of the upcoming model for Professional Van.
Read the full article on Professional Van here
VOLVO V70 MK3 – KING OF THE WAFT WAGONS? – MATT RICHARDSON
In his latest FuriousDriving video, Matt Richardson road tests the third-gen Volvo V70 to find out if the 2.4-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel is the pinnacle of mid-noughties estate cars.
JEEP AVENGER EV TURNS HEADS AS STELLANTIS BUILDS ELECTRIC CHALLENGE – NEIL WINTON
Neil Winton details how the arrival of the new Jeep Avenger EV has been a sales success for Stellantis, a model that signifies the start of an influx of new electrified models for the multinational automotive corporation.
Read the article on Forbes here
EA SPORTS WRC REVIEW: A TRUE DIRT RALLY 2.0 SEQUEL? – BEN GRIFFIN
In the world of racing sims, Ben Griffin puts the new EA Sports WRC rally racing game to the test (for 40-plus hours) to find out if it’s a worthy successor to the fabled DiRT Rally 2.0.
Read the review on A Tribe Called Cars here
AN IDIOT’S GUIDE TO THE MAZDA MX-5: HISTORY, GENERATIONS, SPECIAL EDITIONS – PHILL TROMANS
With a million examples sold, the Mazda MX-5 has become one of the most popular sports cars in the world. To help you navigate through its long history, Phill Tromans runs through the entire history of the iconic roadster, from its beginnings to the current ‘ND’ generation car.
Read the full article on Car Throttle here
SGMW MAGAZINE ROUND UP:
DIESEL & ECO CAR DECEMBER 2023 – ISSUE 445
In this month’s Diesel & Eco Car magazine, there are a number of contributions from the Southern Group’s members including an in-depth used buying guide on the Peugeot 3008 by Ian Robertson. While David Wilkinson raises the most prominent reasons for switching to an EV, and Martin Gurdon runs the rule over the irrelevant press releases and the codswallop they contain. Finally, Andy Russell delivers further praise on his time with his Honda Civic long-termer.
The December 2023 issue of Diesel & Eco Car is on sale here
SGMW SOCIAL WATCH:
For those into vintage JDM cars, Tim Pitt has been singing the praises of the 1986 Nissan Silvia S12 1.8 Turbo.
After six hours in a car, Trinity Francis reveals how the arrival of a JCB scale model inspired some singing practice of the JCB song that featuring Bruce Lee.
Andy Russell returns to road testing for Diesel & Eco Car, revealing he’s rather taken with the new Honda Civic e:HEV 2.0i-MMD.
In international news, Phil Huff has posted highlights of day two of the First Annual 2nd Generation Toyota C-HR Owners Club European Autumn Convention. A convention with such an exclusively long name that it cannot fit into a legible acronym of any kind.
Last month, Rich Gooding got behind the wheel of the Kia Soul EV, confirming that it still offers an excellent range figure in the (ever) colder November weather.
To find out more about the Southern Group’s recent activities, read our report on the SMMT Test Day South.
