We both remember the hay days of MG, when it was an aspiration to buy one. Other proud owners included Elvis Presley, James Dean and King Charles when he was a young 21 year old bachelor prince. Then the MG Rover group collapsed as the UK’s last volume car in 2005. Now owned by the Chinese, it had a go at a comeback in 2007 with the original MG3. We were not impressed then and clearly neither was anyone else. The only thing it had going for it was the price. From 2021-2023, MG has seen a gigantic 64% rise in sales…… oh how the phoenix has risen from the ashes with its new models on offer. MG4 and MG5 are already award winners and we think their stablemate, the MG3 Hybrid is creeping up behind them and may very well overtake them in the trophy cabinet.

Main rivals for this little 5 door supermini are the Toyota Yaris and the Renault Clio, both good looking cars but the MG3 can hold its own in the style department. On the inside it is smart and spacious with plenty of storage, and good tech but we wouldn’t say it was plush, some of the materials are a bit plasticy but that is reflected in the price. We don’t often have back seat passengers but on this occasion we did and 6ft 1in John agreed that there was plenty of room for him and it was a comfortable ride.

Out on the road it grips the road well, the steering is light and it is quiet, apart from when driving at higher speeds. We set off for the Cairn O’ Mount in Aberdeenshire to one of Scotland’s highest peaks. At its highest the gradient is a massive 18.6% which was indeed a challenge for the MG3. With three slightly above average occupants, the car did seem to have a bit of a wobble and we were just a tad worried that we might not make it over the other side but fear not, it found its extra wind and the journey continued. MG3 comes in two trims, the SE which is packed full of kit and costs around £18,500 and the Trophy which costs £2000 more but you get LED headlights, heated front seats and steering wheel, and 360 degrees parking camera.

MG is soon to launch a fully petrol version and given their success with electric cars, and now a hybrid compromise, we did not see that coming! It will cost around £15,000, so will be a huge competitor to rivals such as Dacia. Watch this space…………………

Ally says – Because MG3 is a hybrid, it is perfect for those not quite ready to take the jump into a fully electric car and given the competitive price and great efficiency of 64.2 mpg, it is sure to be a winner.

Lorraine says – Other than the quiver at the top of one of Scotland’s highest mountains which was exceptional, I thoroughly enjoyed the drive and would definitely recommend a test drive.

If looks are anything to go by alone, then the latest Renault Scenic has to be one of the best electric cars around.

Renault has never shied away from being just a little bit different style-wise; some were very successful—just think of the original Megane—and some were perhaps just a little too contemporary for their time. Even Harry, our regular delivery man who was admiring the latest arrival into our driveway, mentioned the iconic Avantime, which we think the new Scenic resembles just a little bit.

We were testing the car in the top-of-the-range Iconic trim, which comes with 20-inch Oracle diamond-cut alloy wheels and a huge panoramic sunroof that can be either see-through or opaque at the touch of a button. You can choose which part of the car has which, so cooler in the back for the kids and clear in the front for the adults—very clever.

Once inside the Scenic, the stylish design continues, but it doesn’t just offer good looks; the practicality is excellent. There are plenty of options for the driver’s seating positions, generous space in the front and rear, and lots of storage for all the bits and bobs that families travel with. The 12-inch touchscreen is angled to face the driver and is easy to operate for entertainment, information, etc. Meanwhile, in the back, the center armrest has swivel arms with slots to hold tablets, for example, so the kids can watch movies on longer journeys. Whatever happened to buying comics to read? If you are going on extended trips, then you will have no problem loading up the car boot; it is wide and deep and will easily take several suitcases, while the seats split too if you need extra flexibility.

The Scenic was given a 5-star Euro NCAP rating for its safety features, which include eCall automatic emergency assist and a smart rearview mirror, which is really a camera.

Out on the road, the Scenic drives beautifully smooth, as you would expect. It is not the fastest horse out of the stalls at 7.9 seconds for 0-62 mph but has more than enough oomph for the average family. It is very quiet in an almost tuneful way, which we both liked. The automatic gearbox with column change on the stalk of the steering wheel, while not unusual these days, is very practical too—reminiscent of an old Renault 16 when column change was unusual.

The all-important range is officially 379 miles, but we never really got to prove that. However, as with all electric cars, we suspect that under “normal” driving conditions, the figure would more likely be in the late 200s, which for most families would be quite sufficient.

The new Scenic starts at around £37,500; the top-of-the-range model we had on test starts at £45,495.

Ally says: “The Scenic is a beautiful-looking car that drives well and is competitively priced in an exceedingly competitive sector where strong rivals prowl.”

Lorraine says: “The new Scenic bears no resemblance to the one I bought in the late ’90s, which was then merely a posh van. Now it has evolved into a stunning family vehicle. The only gripe I had was I had difficulty fitting the driver’s seatbelt, as the gap was too tight between the seats.”

We have been fortunate enough to have driven the new Suzuki Swift on a couple of occasions recently, and neither of these times disappointed. The first time was a trip to Gloucestershire for the launch of the new Swift. Not content with showing off their latest model, we were also there to celebrate 40 years of the Swift. Oh, how it has changed! Our friends at Suzuki managed to source one model from each of the previous four generations of the Swift from loyal customers, some of whom are still driving their pride and joy to this day, as well as some from their heritage fleet.

At first glance, there may not seem to be any major changes to the exterior of the car, but why change something just for the sake of change? It does get a more rounded shape, however, with newly styled headlights, sculpted bumpers, a roof spoiler, and a distinct grille.

On the inside, the aim is to be driver-focused, with a large 9-inch screen and all central controls angled toward the driver. There is ample space for two adults in the front and two smaller people in the back, and the boot compares well with other superminis.

It has more tech than you can shake a stick at, much of it coming as standard, which will give it great credibility over its rivals.

There has been additional emphasis on safety too, including lane departure warning and prevention, weaver alert, and automatic emergency braking for peace of mind.

The engine in our test car was a 1.2-litre petrol engine combined with mild hybrid technology, which delivers great fuel economy (around 64 mpg), which is attractive. We drove on rural roads as well as motorways, and the little Swift held its own in both conditions. However, it was in the towns where it really became animated; precise braking, smooth gear changes, and accurate steering made it a joy to drive.

There is also a four-wheel-drive version available in the Swift lineup, so if you need that extra reassurance in the winter or live remotely, then give it some real consideration.

Wisely or otherwise, there are no fully electric models from Suzuki at this point in time, but we are told the engineers and designers have a work in progress to be announced in the not-too-distant future. We think that may just be a wise move: perfect the batteries, range, and pricing, and then more drivers may have more confidence in purchasing all-electric cars out of their own pocket.

Ally says: “If people are clever, they will recognize that the new Swift will fill that gap left by the demise of the Ford Fiesta. It is more than just a substitute; the Swift is a great wee car in its own right.”

Lorraine says: “Suzuki is also offering an incentive of 0% finance, so some great deals to be had on the new Swift, which is an added bonus to buying a very smart city car.”

All we could think of when we heard about the latest Honda was Einstein’s E=MC²! Could the designers not have come up with a better alphabetical name or even something with a decent integer? It sounds like a preproduction project code, and maybe that was exactly it if the industry gossip is to be believed. An unremarkable name, however, does not necessarily make it an unremarkable car.

We both liked the little Honda e, which was a really quirky attempt at Honda’s first entry into the electric market. Who could forget the moving goldfish screen?

A couple of years on, with no little swimmers evident, we see the arrival of Honda’s second electric car. To give it its correct name, the e is a mid-sized SUV that has a good-sized battery and a comparable range with its competitive rivals, such as the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Kona, Skoda Enyaq 80, and Kia Niro EV. We have not driven the Tesla, as they do not provide us with test cars, so we cannot compare.

Honda styling has a mixed assembly: there is the fabulous Civic, but perhaps the less attractive CR-V and HR-V. However, to be fair, it depends on what you are looking for as far as SUVs are concerned. We really like the !!!***!!! (or whatever it is called); it looks good from the outside, and once inside, there is substantial space for all passengers, with decent boot space too. We loved the 15-inch portrait touchscreen, which housed all the necessary controls, which were very user-friendly. It was very comfortable, with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Yes, folks, this is Scotland, and we needed both even in July! Add in adaptive LED headlights, a power tailgate, and we loved the sunroof, which did allow brightness on that odd occasion when the sun made an appearance.

There is plenty of equipment available; even the entry-level Elegance trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, privacy glass, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, adaptive LED headlights, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless start, dual-zone air-con, and adaptive cruise control.

We both enjoyed the drive of the car, perhaps more than we thought we would; in fact, we both wished we could have had it just a little bit longer to really take it through its paces.

When it comes to the all-important charging, though, the e’s maximum charging rate is 78kW, so it can be charged from 10-80% in about 45 minutes, which is fine if you have a home charger, but it means you cannot take advantage of higher chargers on offer. However, it is on par with the Niro EV.

The range is officially 256 miles, which is really good. With heater/aircon/radio/wipers running on our day trip, we managed a decent 222 miles.

Prices start from £42,195.

Ally says: “Enjoyed our time in the e. Loved the drive, and who could even question Honda’s dependable reliability record?”

Lorraine says: “I really liked this car too. It is a bit pricey compared to some others in its class, but I have it on very good authority that there are excellent deals to be had.”

The two of us must admit to not having our fingers on the pulse, as when we were informed we were taking delivery of a KGM Torres for testing, we were both quite curious and perplexed.  Then the penny dropped when it arrived in the driveway, it was of course unmistakably a SsangYong who were recently rebranded as KGM, (which is definitely much easier to spell!) and it is now launching its first new car since in the UK with the Torres which is a mid- sized SUV.

On the outside, it has a modern design, a quite sleek, less boxy look than the brand’s traditional design whilst still looking rugged and capable with powerful lines and the wide radiator grille is still symbolic of the brand’s heritage. All quite eye-catching.

Once inside, there is lots of space with plenty head and legroom, and generous storage options. The back seats split 60/40 so you can fold them down for extra storage and the boot space is huge compared to others in its class.  The dashboard features a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen, and there’s another 12.3in driver display behind the steering wheel with Android Auto and Apple Carplay as standard. Build quality feels good even although most of the materials are hard plastic, designers have managed to make it look attractive and our test car had leather upholstery whereas the K30 has to make do with faux leather.

We had the 1.5 turbocharged petrol engine, official doing 0-60 mph in 10.8 seconds, (although it did feel a bit quicker), was more than sufficient for our motorway drives and leisurely trips out in the country, visibility is reasonably good, and the ride was comfortable. KGM says it will return 33.2mpg, but we didn’t achieve that, more like 30mpg, maybe we have heavy right feet! A hybrid version is due in 2025 which will be more fuel efficient and may be attractive to some and there is also an EV available now.

The Torres has lots of safety kit that comes as standard such as automatic emergency braking, lane- departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear parking sensors, the K40 that we had on test adds blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and a system that stops you from opening your door into the path of other cars and a 360-degree camera.

In conclusion, the Torres looks good, drives well but as we always say, the SUV market is busy with lots of choice.  Main rivals for the Torres are likely to be the Hyundai Tucson and the Nissan X- Trail, both excellent cars so it will need to offer something a little bit extra to steal buyers away from these favourites, which could be its looks. Unfortunately, there is no 7-seater on offer.

0-62 in 10.8 seconds

Prices start from around £35,000

Ally says – I loved the space inside, it comes with great kit as standard and I really enjoyed driving the Torres.

Lorraine says – Unlike other South Korean manufacturers, the brand has always been a niche market on our shores, but I think the Torres will make bigger inroads in the near future.