Dede Sophie

If all these Volkswagen ID numbers are somewhat confusing to you, you’re probably not alone, writes Brian Byrne. Quick primer: all IDs are electric; ID.3 is a compact family hatchback; ID.4 an SUV in the same C-segment; ID.5 a coupe version of that last; and ID.Buzz is the van-based passenger MPV and commercial vehicle. There’s an ID.6 in China, a 7-seater in the D-segment; and planned for this year are a city car ID.1, a small ID.2 crossover, and large saloon and estate ID.7s. So what you see is Volkswagen’s roadmap to offering a range of EVs to match most of its current internal combustion models. Nothing in the pickup to match the upcoming new generation Amorak yet, but given the cooperation agreement with Ford on LCVs and future blue oval passenger EVs, doubtless there will be a VW variant of Ford’s US F-150 Lightning at some stage. All of which brings me to the ID.5 which is the subject for my review this week. The style is slick, recognisably an ID, but wit...

MG have been the first in of a wave of Chinese brand electric cars coming down the road to Europe, and are making the most of their head start here, writes Brian Byrne. Their latest model is the MG4, the first EV hatchback from the marque, once a sporty iconic British one but now owned by the giant SAIC Motor Company in China. Driving the MG4 was being very much in the public eye. It turned heads all the time, and not just because of the orange colour, appropriately named Volcano. The car is very smartly styled, and quite distinctive. The designers went for advanced-looking lights up front and a brace of spoilers at the back extending from the roof that reference some supercar styling motifs. The visual kink in the profile made by black colouring in the lower parts does its bit too. No question, here is something smart. In size The MG4 sits between Renault’s Megane E-Tech and Cupra’s Born electric cars, but is wider than both. All three can be considered in the space where V...