A motoring journalist sampled 15 cars at the SMMT Test Day at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, and the £35,945 Honda Civic eHEV hybrid came out on top with its outstanding handling and intelligent powertrain. Here is how all 15 ranked.
It can often feel as though the UK car market is awash with SUVs, but that's not the whole picture. A timely reminder of this comes courtesy of the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) annual test day, held at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The event offers journalists and content creators the chance to get behind the wheel of the latest models across all shapes and sizes.
Some of the vehicles on show are brand new, others nearly so, some are used, some are rapid, some are sluggish, some are outstanding, some are decent, and some are none of the above. It's a prime opportunity for motoring journalists to acquaint themselves with a new model or revisit a familiar one. Arriving at Millbrook in my cherished MINI – in my view one of the finest used cars to drive – I managed to get behind the wheel of 15 cars in total. Here is my verdict on the best and worst of the bunch.
15th: Aion V - £36,450
The Aion V is a brand new SUV from China, retailing from around £36,000. It proved tricky to fully assess at the SMMT Test Day, partly due to being unable to take it on the Alpine Handling Course, so a small caveat applies to this assessment. That said, on the city course it braked, steered and accelerated as you'd expect from a family SUV. It rode softly and offered a generous boot, though it left me with more questions than answers.
Rating: 4/10
14th: Smart #1 - £29,960
Growing up in the late-1990s and early-2000s, Smarts were clever little cars. I remember the Four Two and Four Four and the beautiful Smart Roadsters with their tiny engines. This #1 is a compact electric SUV that proves trickier to get to grips with than rival small SUVs - largely down to its whopping touchscreen. It's not as enjoyable behind the wheel either, and comes with a key that won't fit on a key ring. It features regenerative braking, though it kicks in and out at the most inconvenient moments, such as mid-corner. On the plus side, it's a handsome-looking motor and won't burn as big a hole in your pocket as some competitors - but more physical buttons wouldn't go amiss.
Rating: 5/10
13th: Jaecoo E5 - £27,505
When I last got behind the wheel of the Jaecoo E5 at the Goodwood Media Day earlier this year, it left me underwhelmed. The ride felt particularly punishing, as though the suspension had little to no give. I was told it was cheap and it looked, felt, and drove like it. However, the E5 I drove at the SMMT Media Day was a very different animal - noticeably better damping, improved feel, and a much more solid sense of build quality. Not quite a class leader, but a marked step forward.
Rating: 6/10
12th: Chery Tiggo 9 - £43,105
Having taken the Chery Tiggo 8 for a spin and not been particularly impressed, I braced myself for the Chery Tiggo 9. I'd been informed it was the firm's flagship offering. When the Jaecoo 7 is selling great guns it's got to be one hell of a ship. It's decent enough, though not exceptional. Ultimately, it's a large, plush, and comfy vehicle that handles, brakes, and steers adequately. Admittedly, that's not setting the bar particularly high, but it genuinely feels solidly constructed and considerably more polished than I'd anticipated.
Rating: 6/10
11th: Jaecoo 7 - £29,210
I harbour a quiet appreciation, more of a whisper really now I've put pen to paper, for the Jaecoo 7. Nicknamed the 'Temu Range Rover', it's become a familiar sight on Britain's roads, arguably the first Chinese motor to achieve such status. Truth be told, it caught me off guard. It had the feel, and this isn't meant as a knock, of an old Land Rover Freelander, which was an enjoyable drive. The Jaecoo 7 is broad with a compact wheelbase, yet it doesn't catch you out. Like other Chinese SUVs, and SUVs generally, it exhibited slight understeer, though it handled bends better than its best-selling rival, the Ford Puma.
Rating: 7/10
10th: Peugeot 308 SW - £31,195
Sometimes you just need something reassuring, comfortable and unfussy. A non-electric estate car fits that bill perfectly, and thankfully so does the Peugeot 308 SW. It delivers solid performance, sits low on the road, and boasts an enormous boot that should swallow up all the gear a family could possibly need. One minor gripe worth mentioning: positioning the seat and steering wheel to suit my driving style meant the top of the wheel obscured the instrument binnacle – the cluster housing your speedometer and other vital readouts. Hardly a dealbreaker, but noteworthy nonetheless. Having previously tested a sportier saloon variant of this model, I can confirm it ranked among my top drives of 2024.
Rating: 7/10
9th: MG Cyberster
Here's something you won't encounter every day – an electric two-seater convertible sports car complete with scissor doors. Crafted by Anglo-Chinese manufacturer MG, it successfully channels the spirit of 1960s and 70s motoring – when MG was celebrated for producing the MG B and MG B GT – with modern reliability. In all honesty, the outer wheels felt somewhat soft when put under load, though given Britain's pothole-riddled roads, that's arguably no bad thing. The scissor doors and the whole spectacle surrounding their operation felt a touch theatrical, yet this does little to diminish the sheer enjoyment of piloting the MG.
Rating: 7/10
8th: Nissan Micra - £21,495
The Nissan Micra has been a fixture on British roads for decades, and the newest version is built on the same underpinnings as the frankly superb Renault 5. However, don't assume it's simply a Renault in disguise, despite sharing some interior switchgear. While the new Nissan benefits from the Renault's agility, chassis balance and powertrain, it distinguishes itself by offering a slightly more compliant ride. That softer edge isn't a criticism, mind you – I appreciate how, despite the shared platform, both vehicles possess distinct characters. This is a solid motor, and I'm keen to see whether that quality translates into strong sales figures.
Rating: 7.5/10
7th: BMW Z4 - Around £45,000
Apart from my own car, this was the sole manual gearbox-equipped vehicle I sampled throughout the Test Day. One of the brilliant aspects of manual transmissions is how they compel you to concentrate and connect more deeply with the driving experience. To extract maximum performance or efficiency from a manual car, you need to consider your gear changes carefully. Despite its weighty clutch and somewhat misaligned pedals, the BMW Z4 proved enjoyable to pilot and served as a reminder that proper driver-focused cars still exist. It also benefited from fundamental physics, thanks to its modest kerb weight and potent engine. That said, while it ranked among the stronger offerings at the SMMT test day, I'd personally opt for its coupé sibling, the Toyota Supra.
Rating: 7.5/10
6th: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N - £65,800
When the Hyundai Ioniq 5 launched, many observers noted its side profile bore a striking resemblance to the legendary Lancia Delta Integrale, albeit on a larger scale. That iconic and stunning Italian machine went on to dominate the World Rally Championship. Having now experienced the N version of the Ioniq 5, I'm curious how a version of this vehicle fitted with slick tyres would stack up against Lancia's current Rally 2 contender. It maintains grip relentlessly through bends, remaining flat as a pancake in an almost Terminator-like manner. Driving a car so firmly planted on the tarmac, seemingly defying the laws of physics, proves exceptionally satisfying.
Rating: 8/10
5th: Kia PV5 - £32,995
The Kia PV5 is an electric MPV, and there aren't many of those around. What it is though, is jolly good, so good I named it the best electric car I drove all day at the SMMT Test Day in a recent article. It handles well, it's practical, it doesn't roll too much in the corners. If you've got a large family and need to get that large family from place to place, consider it. It looks cool too which helps.
Rating: 8.1/10
4th: Maserati Granturismo - £191,820
The most expensive and most potent vehicle on this list, the Maserati delivered tremendous entertainment. I appreciated how agile it felt, how responsive, and exhilarating. Beyond needing to mind that low-slung nose, it proved delightful.
Rating: 8/10
3rd: Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid - £18,995
With cars like the Citroen Ami (I know that's a quadricycle but let me have this one), the Picanto, the returning Citroen 2CV, the potential comeback of the Ford Fiesta, and the ongoing MINI Cooper Hatch, it seems compact cars are poised for a comeback. These vehicles, both present and forthcoming, will have their work cut out matching the Fiat Panda Hybrid in demonstrating that a wee practical motor with a modest engine can be this impressive.
Rating: 8.5/10
2nd: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio - £87,056
I've always had a soft spot for the Giulia Quadrifoglio. It's a motor that serves as a reminder that cars can offer not merely an escape, but a space for contemplation, occasionally to life-altering effect. Yet, even from a strictly objective mechanical perspective, it's a vehicle that's nimble, enjoyable to pilot, and simply delightful. It highlights what we stand to lose should the world fall silent and we bid farewell to the combustion engine altogether. We require more motors of this calibre, kudos to Alfa Romeo for maintaining it in their range.
Rating: 8.5/10
1st: Honda Civic eHEV - £35,945
The Honda clinches this decisively, chiefly due to the marriage of its exemplary handling and its clever powertrain. I've driven few cars that handle this precisely, this responsively, this engagingly. It breeds confidence and you quickly forget the petrol engine and hybrid system are doing a clever dance under the bonnet. Being a reasonably substantial hatchback, it's practical as well.
Rating: 9/10
