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PORING over the annual new car registration data reveals no end of hidden detail – some of which is revealed in Hugo Griffiths’ analysis on page 12 and commented on by Mike Rutherford on page 82. But it’s no coincidence that, among all the negative figures on the spreadsheet from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the few positive numbers seem to be alongside those car makers who are fast becoming known for their electrified cars. Yes, MG and Tesla have done well and seen sizeable sales increases, but Toyota also posted a healthy increase in market share, no doubt off the back of advertising campaigns for its ‘self-charging hybrids’. I know that there are many who roll their eyes at the very thought of EVs, yet we’re fast…

mail@autoexpress.co.uk • Prototype of new N division SUV driven in UK for the first time • Shares its engine, suspension, brakes and steering with i30 N THE ingredients and basic recipe might sound familiar, but as you can see, the resulting dish being served up by Hyundai’s N division this time is a rather different proposition. And having driven a prototype of the forthcoming new Kona N on UK roads we’re still deeply impressed by what the Korean company’s high-performance arm can achieve in such a short space of time. But to start, the Kona N is not the ideal kind of car to be receiving the full-blown N treatment in the first place; that’s Hyundai’s admission, not just our observation. The centre of gravity is higher, and the wheelbase…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods • New EV crossover for brand • First car from Chinese venture SMALL-car maker Smart has confirmed that it will launch its first SUV in 2022. It will use a new modular electric platform developed by Chinese giant Geely. It’s the first major Smart product announcement since Mercedes parent company Daimler established a new global joint venture with Volvo owner Geely for the Smart brand in early 2020. Smart has never made an SUV, but it has flirted with the idea in the past. In 2005 it was due to reveal a compact SUV concept called the ForMore at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but the idea was canned before a prototype was finished. Motor-show specials such as 2012’s ForUs and ForStars duo have also been revealed, but without…

Hugo_Griffiths@dennis.co.uk @hugo_griffiths THE number of new cars registered in the UK last year hit its lowest level since 1992, and contracted more than at any other time since factories switched to munitions manufacturing during the Second World War. With shattered consumer confidence and dealerships forced to close due to lockdowns, a total of 1.63 million new cars found homes in 2020, down 29.4 per cent on 2019, down 680,076 registrations. Two trends emerged amid the carnage, both linked to the rise in popularity of electric cars ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel models in nine years’ time. The first concerns the number of new EVs registered, which skyrocketed by 185.9 per cent thanks to 108,205 battery-powered cars finding homes. Registrations of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were…

Chinese-owned British brand saw a 40.84 per cent increase in registrations, with 18,415 cars, including ZS SUV, finding homes in 2020 Sales rose by almost 80 per cent, mainly thanks to the Model 3, while EV registrations rocketed by 185.9 per cent, with over 100,000 cars sold While Toyota’s sales were down overall, it grew its market share from 4.55 to 5.63 per cent, helped by great cars such as the Corolla Macan and Cayenne helped Stuttgart firm deliver the smallest decline, shrinking just 6.38 per cent; firm also managed to grow its market share “A tenth of all new models sold in 2020 can be plugged in”…

“More hybrids, plug-ins and EVs were registered last year than diesels” Subaru is a niche brand in the UK, but the company will still be sad to see sales slip to triple digits thanks to a 68.27 per cent decline Mercedes must be hoping Geely’s recent co-ownership of Smart will bring greater luck, with sales down 65.76 per cent last year Many other makers saw a decline in sales similar to Citroen’s 44.77 per cent drop, but the French firm will be hurting nonetheless Diesel cars once had nearly half of UK market, but dropped 55 per cent in popularity last year, outsold by alternatively fuelled models…