The Kia Cee'd is the most popular vehicle in Cyprus for the 2nd time in the past 3 months. According to our local partners SEMO Cyprus and INNOSOFT, the Cypriot new car market edges up 3.2% year-on-year in June to 1.183 registrations, yet the year-to-date tally remains frankly in negative territory at…
It's thumbs up from me on the BYD Tang EV. I kept the best for last, and this final iteration of this China Test Drives 2019 series following the Shanghai Auto Show details the most impressive car I got to drive this year: the BYD Tang EV. BYD (for Build…
The Baojun RS-5 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. Last year we test drove the extremely successful Baojun 510 and 530, and in 2019 SAIC-GM's low-cost brand has taken a complete u-turn with a semi-premium stand at the Shanghai Auto Show in April in opposite trajectory with its heritage and DNA. The truth…
Geely Binyue in Kunming, Yunnan. One year ago I tested the Geely Boyue and was thoroughly impressed by its almost rally car-like handling thanks to particularly brazen sales people. I did not expect that from the "soccer mum SUV" the Boyue is. Since, Geely has released the smaller Binyue to…
Bestune T77 in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. We interviewed the Bestune team at the Shanghai Auto Show last April to try and uncover the secrets behind the success of FAW's new brand, and the logical next step was to test drive its unique model for now, the T77 SUV, which one…
Dongfeng Aeolus AX7 in Dali, Yunnan. We continue on our series of Chinese dealership test drives with the second Dongfeng this year, this time from the Aeolus sub-brand, a Westernised name for the Chinese label Fengshen. Note that it may as well be a different brand altogether so much so…
Dongfeng Fengon ix5 in Kunming We continue on our Chinese dealership test drives with the Dongfeng Fengon ix5, previously Fengguang and aka Glory outside of China. This is Dongfeng's first coupe SUV, a red hot format in China at the moment that seems to be the perfect blend of SUV…
Jetour X70 in Dali. After reporting on my rental Peugeot 301 and Hyundai Celesta, it is now time to relate my visits to Chinese dealerships and all the quick test drives that resulted. From 5 in 2018, the number of new Chinese cars I was able to get my hands…
Our Hyundai Celesta near Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan. After trying out a Peugeot 301 in Inner Mongolia, we now fly the entire width of China to land in Kunming, the capital of the Yunnan province. We will attempt to visit the province's highlights during a 1.263 km loop with…
Opel sales are up 121.8% year-on-year in Morocco in June. The Moroccan new light vehicle market is almost immobile in June at -0.03% year-on-year to 12.991 registrations, as a Passenger Car decline (-1.6%) is compensated by very strong Light Commercials sales (+15.7%). Year-to-date, total sales are down -11% as the…
A new Suzuki Alto has landed in Pakistan. Thanks to PAMA we can share with you June sales of locally-produced light vehicles in Pakistan, a fair representation of the market as very high taxes make imports negligible. Sales slow down their fall in June at -5.2% year-on-year to 17.561 units, leading…
The new X3 (+96.8%) helps BMW up 7.4% so far in 2019. New car sales in Germany edge up 0.5% year-on-year over the First Half of 2019 to a round 1.849.000 units, the largest H1 tally in Germany since 2000. Business fleets gain 3.3% to 1.179.662 units and 63.8% share…
It took a while, but the VW T-Roc is now well and truly established at home. After a splendid 9.1% surge in May, the German new car market falls back to earth at -4.7% year-on-year in June to 325.231 registrations due to three fewer working days than in June 2018. Adjusted for…
Renault Clio sales are up 121.9% year-on-year in Romania in June. The Romanian new car market surges 15% year-on-year in June to 14.082 units, lifting the year-to-date tally up 19.2% to 71.620. Dacia (-1.1%) is left out of the national growth and falls to 26.8% share, a full three percentage…
Peugeot sales soar 34.6% year-on-year in Bulgaria in June. The Bulgarian new car market is almost immobile in June, losing just one unit year-on-year to 4.061 registrations which brings the year-to-date tally up 8.8% to 23.041. Dacia (+24.2%) surges 3 spots on May to reclaim the brands pole position it…