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 the past year.

Southern Group Happenings: November 2024

The awards are voted for by SGMW members, many of whom have experienced the new cars at manufacturer launches and driving days, and attended the Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) north and south test days.

SGMW chairman Ian Robertson said: “It’s been another packed 12 months, with an unprecedented number of new electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, diesel and petrol cars launched on to the market for our membership to sample.”

He added “The Southern Group of Motoring Writers is not only the largest regional group in the country, it’s also the most active and hard-working.”

The full results for the SGMW New Year Honours 2025, with some opinions from the voting members, are:

BEST PR NEWCOMER – someone who made a special impact in liaising with the media during the past year and is either new to the industry PR scene or has taken on a new role/position.

Winner – Melissa Lodge (Genesis Motor UK)

“Melissa is the kind of PR wizard who could organise a car launch on the moon and still have time to make sure the canapés are out of this world. She’s an absolute star — brilliantly efficient, a joy to work with and effortlessly professional, all while keeping things fun. Genesis is lucky to have her, and so are we!”

Runner-up – Thomas Davis (Isuzu UK)

BEST PR OFFICE – awarded to the operation consistently delivering the best all-round or forward-thinking service to SGMW throughout the year.

Winner – Kia UK

“Kia, unquestionably. The Kia team just delivers, every time.”

“Kia UK once again. Kia has held bespoke driving days and events for SGMW members to try out the company’s latest cars and has one of the friendliest bunch of people in the business!”

Runner-up – Genesis Motor UK

THE SGMW OBE (OPERATING BEYOND EXPECTATION) – for acting above and beyond the call of PR duty during the past year. It can be for consistent high performance, a memorable one-off effort or a thoughtful gesture towards one of our members caught in a bind.

Winner – Vince Clisham (Fiat and Abarth)

“Vince Clisham at Abarth for giving up his seat on the plane and ensuring every journalist made it home when British Airways overbooked a flight.”

Runner-up – Simon Branney (Genesis Motor UK)

‘DARK HORSE’ OF THE YEAR – a car that surprised SGMW members, either by its arrival or just how good it was.

Winner – BYD Seal U

“The BYD Seal U is quite a refreshing change from the plethora of all-electrified cars now coming in from China. It drives really well, it’s exceptionally well put together, with smooth interior finishes, it’s comfortable and, thankfully, no traditional whine from the battery either. Looking at value for money, the BYD is worth the cash outlay.”

ONE TO WATCH – the car that SGMW members most look forward to driving in the coming year.

Winner – Renault 5 E-Tech

“Retro design done right. And a truly desirable hatchback when others offer only crossovers and SUVs.”

“What’s not to like? Brilliantly retro, stylish and hi-tech cabin, impressive range and competitively priced. A winner!”

SGMW CAR OF THE YEAR

Winner – Alfa Romeo Junior

“Alfa Romeo’s new Junior is truly brilliant to drive. In Veloce form, it’s the best-performing Alfa this side of a Giulia Quadrifoglio. More than that, it’s the best-handling hatchback that Alfa has ever made, including the Alfasud. With the Junior, Alfa Romeo shows that it’s still possible to buy a compact car that’s fun to drive – a car you can get truly passionate about.”

CHAIRMAN’S AWARD – to honour someone who has given extraordinary service to the automotive industry, a particular manufacturer or been a very special friend to SGMW.

Winner – Dale Wyatt, Suzuki GB director of automobile for the UK and Ireland

SGMW chairman Ian Robertson said: “Dale Wyatt has been an exceptional pillar of the motor industry, leading Suzuki for 18 years when he retires in March. He has been a huge supporter of the Southern Group of Motoring Writers, and we will be sad to see him pass the baton on.

“Dale’s wellbeing and health are of the utmost importance and this will give him time to himself away from the corporate world. When I decided to award Dale the Chairman’s Award, I couldn’t think of a better, or more deserving, candidate.”

SGMW Southern Star

Winner – Ben Hodges

“Always on top of publicising the group, keeping track of everyone’s work and getting the SGMW word out there on social media.”

The post SGMW 2025 NEW YEAR HONOURS AND THE WINNERS ARE… appeared first on Southern Group of Motoring Writers.

SGMW gets on track for New Year Honours testing at SMMT Test Day South

Here, we walk through the highlights from the wider automotive industry and from the SGMW membership for October 2024. 

SGMW Car Launch Watch: Big SUVs and Tesla does away with the taxi driver

Last month kicked off with a pair of large (no pun intended) SUV reveals with the arrival of the Dacia Bigster and the Volkswagen Tayron, with the former being a large budget SUV and the latter replacing the outgoing Tiguan Allspace seven-seater. We’re happy to report that both models met our vast expectations. And yes, we’ll see ourselves out after that one.  

The Tesla Model 3 line-up also received a refresh, with the Long Range RWD model living up to its badge with a whopping 436 miles of range. Elon Musk also called a Taxi with Tesla’s new Robotaxi. A $30,000 driverless taxi cab that the brand says will make autonomous travel “safer, faster, and affordable.”

Chinese brand XPeng Motors also showcased their own self-driving tech last month with the P7+, a new electric saloon car that promises to “help drivers enjoy a safer, smarter, faster, sustainable, and more pleasant driving experience. This lofty promise is thanks to new AI and autonomous driving tech that can learn the behaviours of its driver. Meaning that when the P7+ arrives in the UK, we’d expect it to exclusively position itself in the middle lane of all motorways as it learns from the typical British driver. 

Finally, a variety of brands revealed pricing for their latest shiny new electric models. Nissan kicked off with the sporty Ariya Nismo, which will set you back from £56,620. This was bettered by Audi, who revealed pricing for the new A6 e-tron Sport and Q6 e-tron Sportback EVs, which start from £62,500 for the former and £62,475 for the latter.

SGMW Test Drives Watch: New Ferrari and BMW flagship models don’t disappoint

A litany of new cars finally got into the grubby mitts of reviewers last month as well. The Ferrari 12Cilindri won universal praise from all quarters. In spite of much online trolling about its 2.4-tonne weight figure, the new BMW M5 received rave reviews as a great driver’s car that is also a practical family saloon or estate. Exactly what we’d expected for the latest M Division special. 

There was also good news for family SUV buyers, with the new Ford Explorer receiving decent scores from most publications, while the Cupra Terramar was dubbed an “excellent family hauler” by Auto Express while receiving a similar score. 

In a market sector that we are glad still exists, Volkswagen appears to have proved that it can still produce a great hot hatchback with the latest iterations of the Golf GTI, Golf GTI Clubsport, and the Golf R, which all earned excellent reviews for their facelifted Mk8.5 models. 

SGMW Web Watch: 

Aston Martin Vanquish 2024 review – Tim Pitt

The Aston Martin Vanquish has returned! This time, though, the British GT gets an 835hp twin-turbo V12 and a 214mph top speed. Tim Pitt manages to tame all of that power while delivering his verdict. 

Read the Motoring Research review here

Revealed: Kia Enters the Pickup Scene with All-New Tasman – Phil Huff

Some five years after Kia revealed they were adding a pickup truck to their line-up, they’ve finally done it. And what a handsome-looking thing it is too. 

Phil Huff delivers all the details for Professional Pickup.  

Read the Professional Pickup story here

Polestar 4 – First Drive (2024) – Maxine Ashford

Is the world ready for a car without a back window? The Polestar 4 coupe-SUV has arrived to find out. Maxine Ashford has been testing the new model. 

Read the Car Journo review here

Ferrari Unveils Range-Topping F80, Priced At Just Under $4 Million – Neil Winton

Ferrari is the latest brand to give downsizing a go with its new F80 hypercar, a model that now features a turbocharged V6 with hybrid power. Neil Winton breaks down the details for Forbes. 

Read the Forbes article here

The cars with the biggest boots – Claire Evans

If you need to carry large loads, dogs, or whatever you want, then you’ll need a car with a big boot. But which one should you pick? Claire Evans runs through the cars with the biggest boots for Whatcar?

Read the Whatcar? article here

SGMW Social Watch:

In maximum lifestyle news, Phil Huff goes Chabak camping in the new Hyundai Santa Fe. 

In breaking fake exhaust sound news, which is now a real thing, Chris Rees takes a revealing peek underneath the Abarth 600e. 

Trinity Francis steps into dream car territory, getting a drive in the Ford GT. Are we jealous? Yes, maybe quite a lot.  

Stu Bird reveals his pick for a vintage Woolarding pose. Which, for those not in the know, is the practice of striking a pose on or near a motor vehicle that was created by William Woolard.

After the reveal of the new Ferrari F80 hypercar, Tyler Heatley gets creative with the configurator, creating a spec that receives maximum points from us.

The post Southern Group happenings: October 2024 appeared first on Southern Group of Motoring Writers.

Last month, it seemed that motoring PRs were busier than ever, revealing an array of new cars. This started with the unveiling of the new Ferrari 12Cilindri, a name that translates to 12-cylinder in English and also points out it has a V12 engine. Continuing the ‘deep pockets’ theme were Rolls-Royce, with the reveal of the Cullinan Series II, a mildly updated version of the old car. In the world of new cars that are actually affordable, Kia revealed the EV3, a mid-sized electric SUV with over 370 miles of range. Elsewhere, pricing was revealed for the new facelifted Skoda Octavia, which costs £27k upwards when it goes on sale, making it a bit of a bargain if you ask us. 

Southern Group News: 2023 SGMW Heritage Drive Day

For SGMW members, though, the month of May is usually when the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) annual test day takes place at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. This is a chance for members to catch up with PRs in person, all while testing an array of the newest cars from manufacturers, as well as sampling the free food and cakes available (but not all at the same time). 

Here, we present a couple of the social media highlights from the day:

These are the highlights of what SGMW members got up to in May 2024:

SGMW digital round up: 

First Drive: This All-Electric Land Rover Defender Restomod Makes Off-Roading Surprisingly Easy – Tim Pitt

Ever wanted a Land Rover Defender 110 without the diesel clatter? Well, now there’s the Bedeo Defender 110 restomod EV. It swaps the old TD5 diesel for a 75 kWh battery and four compact hub motors. Unlike most modern EVs, it only produces a mere 82 horsepower along with a substantial 479 lb-ft of torque, but is this enough to tempt fans of the original Defender to make the swap? Tim Pitt puts it to the test for the Robb Report. 

Read the Robb Report review here

This Classic BMW 2002 tii packs a 343BHP E46 M3 motor – Trinity Francis

Is it right to swap the heart of a classic car for a more modern and powerful engine? Swedish native Magnus Granberg certainly thinks so, as he’s responsible for squeezing a six-cylinder S54 engine from a BMW M3 into the nose of his vintage 2002 tii. Trinity Francis delivers the full low down for Top Gear.

Read the Top Gear article here

First Drive: Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster Pickup Review – Ben Hodges

In a short space of time, Ineos managed to get its Grenadier model from concept to showrooms – all while making a considerable impact along the way. Now, the third member of the Grenadier family is here, the Quartermaster pickup. But how does it stack up against long-established names like the Ranger and Amarok? Ben Hodges flew to Italy to put it to the test for Professional Pickup. 

Read the Professional Pickup review here

2024 KGM Torres EVX review – Maxine Ashford

After the demise of the SsangYong name, the brand has been reborn as KGM Motors. The Torres SUV is the first new model to emerge since the rebranding, and it’s available with both ICE and EV powertrains with a starting price of just under £45k. But can this new brand make an impact in an already packed market sector? Maxine Ashford drives the new Torres EVX to find out. 

Read the review on Regit Cars here

SGMW magazine watch:

Diesel & Eco Car issue 451: June 2024

The latest edition of Diesel & Eco Car magazine features contributions from a number of SGMW members including Ian Robertson, Tyler Heatley, and Martin Gurdon. Here’s the full preview:

The electric MINI Aceman takes pride of place on the front cover of the June 2024 issue of Diesel&EcoCar magazine and is amongst good company, as it’s a bumper month for new model debuts. The new Citroën C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland are revealed, alongside the Mazda CX-80, facelifted Nissan Qashqai, mildly revised Mercedes-Benz EQS and hybrid-powered Renault Symbioz. We also feature the reprofiled Cupra Leon and Formentor, the smart #5 concept car, Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ power and Tesla Model 3 Performance.

All of your favourite columns and features are present and correct, including The Doctor, Motor Grump, Bright Spark, Tech Zone, Road Watch and Current Affairs. 

The June 2024 issue of Diesel & Eco Car is on sale here

SGMW social watch:

In German car styling news, Tim Pitt celebrates the reveal of a BMW he actually likes the look of for the first time in history. 

Last month, the SGMW’s leading Volkswagen correspondent, Stu Bird, played a starring role in ‘Herbie Douglas completes an 80-mile journey without charming me.’ Not coming to a cinema near you soon.

Chris Rees discovers that for some secret agents, the driveway is not enough, as they prefer to park on the street. 

In touchscreen news, Phil Huff voices his frustrations with the controls of the Volvo EX30 before celebrating the vastly improved setup in the new EX90. 

In bicycle related news, which is an unusual thing to see on these hallowed pages, Phill Tromans rightly points out the positive impact of the car number plate.

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