Features

The Northern Group Drives: December’s Road Test Reviews

Though December is a shorter month for events and road tests (except for those who manage to book cars out across the festive period!), the Northern Group members were their usual busy selves across the final days of 2024.

The 30+ active members got through dozens of cars and thousands of miles in December 2024, and here’s our usual round-up of some of the highlights from the members’ publications across the month.

Our newest member, Naveed Hussain was reviewing the Cupra Tavascan for his YouTube channel Naveed4Speed, and describes the electric SUV as “the sort of thing you’re going to buy with your heart”:

Membership secretary Frederic Manby was a very busy man in December. He took the Dacia Duster for a spin in a Derbyshire quarry and noted in the Yorkshire Post that he was “tempted” by the “sleeker” new-generation Duster.

His print contributions this month included a whirl in the Alfa Romeo Giulia Tributo, praising the car’s balance and poise in The Scotsman, before enjoying some time in the “thoughtful” Hyundai Santa Fe for the same paper.

Another man in the Hyundai range this month was vice chair Andy Harris, who got to take the high-performance Ioniq 5N out for the Yorkshire Times. Andy commented that Hyundai has “thrown down the gauntlet” with the 5N, which “shatters” expectations.

At the other end of the electric spectrum, Annabelle and Ben Quirk were out spending time with the Honda e:NY1 for their PlanetAuto YouTube channel. They praised the battery-electric HR-V sibling for its general road manners:

Andrew Walker got the honour of driving an entirely new brand for Company Car and Van, as he took to the wheel of the Skywell BE11. However he wasn’t entirely impressed with the overall package, describing it only as “very much a first attempt”.

The Kia EV3 proved a good antidote to that, with Andrew remarking that it follows the standard set by the larger EV6. Andy Harris was on the same launch event and described the car as “a compelling choice” in the Yorkshire Times.

Our off-road specialist Damian Turner was busy late-on too, reviewing the Subaru Forester and the rebranded KGM — formerly Ssangyong — Korando for The Mud Life. The Korando gained praise as “a dependable, honest SUV that’s ready for whatever life throws at it”, with the Forester noted “as a vehicle that truly offers the best of both worlds”.

David Thomas was out in the entry-level BYD Dolphin Active and Boost models for his Autobears YouTube channel, commenting that “it’s a perfect kind of town and urban car”:

Other reviews this month included George Loveridge, who was driving the Range Rover Sport for Travel News Update and said it’s “a quality product that has beautifully weighted driving characteristics”.

Ben Harrington was in something a little smaller, running our Car of the Yearthe Suzuki Swift — for Driving Torque, where he remarked that it “offers no-nonsense, value for money motoring with a bit of fun thrown in”.

Julie Marshall was enjoying the “great looking” FIAT 600e La Prima for the Yorkshire Post, while Steve Howarth found the Toyota bZ4X “easy to live with” in a review for 50Plus Magazine.

Finally, we have Steve Teale’s thoughts on the Kia Sorento for the Yorkshire Post, finding it an “incredibly able car in all conditions”, while Mike Torpey enjoyed the “perfect link between a family-friendly estate and tough off-road vehicle” in Subaru’s Outback for Car Review UK.