u/CarwowTom

Last month, this was the best-selling electric car in the UK - but why? The Renault 5 has come in for some serious praise from both journalists and owners, but that doesn't always translate into sales success.

I reckon the R5 is achieving such success for a few key reasons - the styling being the most obvious - but also the price, positioning and practicality. Do you have one? Do you like it?

This is the new AUDI E7X, and you can't have one.

Unless you live in China, that is. The AUDI sub-brand is a joint venture between Audi and Chinese manufacturer SAIC Motor, and it's aiming to give the German brand a bit of a foothold back in the Chinese market, where it's been losing ground to domestic manufacturers.

It's an all-electric SUV that's loaded with tech and offers great specs - plus a staggeringly low price. But how does it compare to the European-market equivalents? I've put it up against a Q8 to find out.

Watch the video above, or read more here: https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/11172/audi-vs-audi-china-vs-germany-mat-watson-compares

That's right, the facelifted C-Class has an updated infotainment system which can access ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Bing (really? Bing?) depending on the nature of your query. Mercedes says it'll enable you to use natural language rather than hitting specific voice triggers, and ask follow-up questions rather than treat each new sentence like a separate prompt. Personally, I remain pretty skeptical about AI in cars, but I'll wait until I've tried this one properly before passing judgement...

Of course, AI isn't the only addition Mercedes has made in the facelift. It gets new styling, including the same three-pointed stars in the head- and tail-lights as the new C-Class Electric and GLC Electric. There's also an update to the grille, which is more upright and illuminated around the rim - though it's not quite as bold and brash as the ones fitted to its electric models.

Inside, you don't get the acres of screen you'll find in Merc's newer cars, but the cabin actually looks better for it. There are even a few new buttons in the form of rocker and roller switches on the steering wheel, replacing (some of) the capacitive touch buttons.

Engines include three petrols, two diesels and a new 395hp plug-in hybrid with up to 62 miles of range. The chassis has been tweaked and you can now get rear-wheel steering for a supermini-sized turning circle.

So what do you think? Worth waiting for, or would you rather have a BMW 3 Series or Audi A5 instead? If it were me, I'd go 3 Series Touring all day long, but I must admit the fact Merc and Audi still offer diesels is a big draw.

I put Audi's two flagship estate cars to the test - the A6 Avant e-tron and the A6 Avant e-hybrid. As tested, similar price, but each model has its advantages depending on the type of journeys you undertake.

Despite their names, they're actually quite different cars to own and drive too - so read the article to see which one I recommend.

This is the new Hennessey Blackbird, and it's aiming for the same sort of people who might find themselves in the market for a Bugatti, a Pagani, or a Koenigsegg. But - in typical muscle car fashion - the American brand has gone a different way to the alternatives, and instead of fitting this car with an ultra-complex hybrid engine, automatic gearbox and high-tech interior, it's kept things simple.

So the Blackbird gets a 6.2-litre V8 engine that produces more than 800hp, and which will rev to a whopping 9,000rpm. The power all goes to the rear wheels, and in the middle there's a six-speed manual gearbox. Not an automatic that thinks it's a manual, not a fake shifter attached to simulated ratios - a proper, three-pedal-and-a-clutch manual gearbox.

As a further nod to the past, there isn't a single touchscreen on the inside. The dials are all analogue, and the dashboard layout refreshingly simple - though there is a phone mount, because you'll probably still want navigation and media controls. Hennessey says 0-60mph will take just 2.5 seconds and top speed is 220mph.

Want one? I do.

Read more here: https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/11118/new-hennessey-blackbird-revealed-mat-watson

The Lepas L8 is the first car from this new sister brand to Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo. 'Lepas' is a portmanteau of 'leopard' and 'passion', by the way - and it's another one of those cars that, while I don't particularly like, I'm sure is going to sell extremely well.

You get a ton for your money. The top-spec 'Elevate' - which is still much cheaper than the most basic VW Tiguan - gets a 279hp plug-in hybrid engine, 20-inch wheels, LEDs all round, a panoramic sunroof, heated, ventilated, massaging and electrically-adjustable seats, a Sony sound system, a built-in fragrance diffuser... how long have you got?

While it's better to drive than a Jaecoo 7, it's still not great. The suspension does that trick of being neither comfy nor sporty, and the steering wheel may as well be a Wii remote. But the success of the Jaecoo shows most buyers don't really care about that.

The next big sales success from the mammoth Chery group? I think it might be...

The Festival of the Unexceptional is a yearly event which celebrates the mundane, the unloved, and the disappearing cars that most classic car shows just ignore. It's also one of the highlights of my year, because nowhere else do you get such a mixture of inclusivity, nostalgia and outright fun.

This year I borrowed an amazing 1998 Volvo S90 to take with me, but I was in good company - with over 2,500 cars there, personal highlights included an incredible Matra Rancho, an immaculate Peugeot 405 diesel and a very bright and cheerful Mazda 121 Fun Top.

FotU will be back next year and you can bet I'll be there again!

When I was a slightly more fresh-faced 23-year-old, I attended the international launch of the Volvo XC40 - and I was really impressed. Nine years on (now that I'm nearly 29, obviously) I had the opportunity to drive the latest model. I wanted to see if the light-touch updates Volvo has applied to the car over the years have kept it fresh enough to be competitive or whether it's fallen by the wayside in favour of newer, flashier models.

Signs are good - it still looks great, and it's clearly still popular as it's one of the top 10 best-selling cars in the UK. Volvo sent me a top-spec Ultra with the more powerful B4 engine, in a classy green-over-cream colour combo.

Read more at the link to find out if it's as immune to aging as Keanu Reeves or whether it's more of a Mickey Rourke...

I've been out today driving the new Geely EX2 - the best-selling car in China. Geely shifted 465,000 of these in 2025, which is around 20% of the entire UK car market, so this is a really big deal.

Thing is, in China the EX2 costs from around £7,000 - over here, it's charging just under £21,000 or just under £24,000 for the larger battery with a 214-mile range. That's punchy, when you consider that the Renault 5 costs about that after the EV grant.

To my eyes, it's cute but it's not a patch on the R5's super-cool styling. It's just a bit blobby, and though the wheels are a very sensible size they do look a bit like it's wearing shoes that are too small. The interior isn't crazily stylish either, but it is really roomy - I'm 6'2, and I can sit behind myself in comfort. Plus, the boot's as big as a VW Golf's, with a big 'frunk' too.

You get lots of equipment for your cash, genuinely nice interior build quality and materials, and impressive efficiency. As for driving? Well, it's fine - comfy, quiet, but not fun and engaging like a Renault 5.

Check out my review at the link to read more.

Darren's either posing by his car, or waiting for it to recognise the key and let him in

Managing editor u/darrencasseycarwow is going to spend the next six months living with this Volvo ES90 as his daily driver - it'll take on commuting, family holidays and ferrying his three-year-old wherever he demands.

Ours is a 'Single Motor Extended Range' in Mulberry Red

Darren wasn't the biggest fan of the ES90 when it launched - "it's big and comfy, but I miss the interior design of the old models and visibility out of the car is rubbish" - but is he going to feel a bit kinder towards it after using it everyday?

The ES90's Google-based infotainment and comfy seats are two highlights

With a 407-mile official range, classy 'Mulberry Red' paintwork and handsome light-coloured interior trim, Darren's ES90 looks the part. But it hasn't been smooth sailing in the first few weeks - the driving position doesn't suit him, he's had issues with the electrochromic roof and the automatic full beam, and worst of all the button-free key has been so unreliable that he's actually been locked out more than once.

There's plenty of space for Darren's son's car seat

You can read more about how Darren's getting on with 'his' ES90 in the report here: https://www.carwow.co.uk/volvo/es90/news/10992/volvo-es90-long-term-review-darren-cassey-first-impressions

The UK vehicle importer Innovation Automotive has ceased trading, which means the electric vehicle brand Skywell it sold is now in limbo.

Skywell UK had a difficult start, with most road tests giving it a right old kicking. I certainly did, as you can read from my initial review...

"Skywell’s roots are in two Chinese companies - the Nanjing Golden Dragon Bus firm, which builds commercial vehicles, and Skyworth, which manufactures consumer electronics like TVs and set top boxes. Unfortunately, getting the two of them together to build cars has resulted in something that has the refinement of a commercial vehicle and the driving dynamics of a set top box."

Well, it seems the rest of the market agreed with road testers (for once). Skywell has registered just 90 cars so far in 2026, and more than 60 of those appear to have been during the transfer of its stock to 'V12 Sports and Classics', which is currently offering delivery-miles BE11s for less than £14,000.

Skywell as a company is still trading, and is actively seeking a new partner to import its cars to the UK. In the meantime though, owners and dealers are left without any certainty around warranty cover, parts availability or future resale values.

So it's the first (kinda) but will it be the last? To be honest, I'm not totally sure, but I don't see that the UK car market has space for every single one of the multiple Chinese car brands that have launched in recent years. Jaecoo sure looks like it's here to stay, but GWM has sold just 144 cars so far this year. If I were a betting man...

I've spent the last week driving around in the Fiat Grande Panda and the Toyota Aygo X, both of which have hybrid engines, dinky dimensions and a fair amount of charm. They've both won me over (and reminded me why I like small cars better than anything else) but neither is perfect - and choosing a clear winner takes more than just looking at the list price and the trip computer. Read my full twin test at the link.