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Driven by Passion: Inside Elite Autos NI with Mark Stewart

From modest beginnings and a handful of stock to a colour-coordinated Newtownards showroom known for everything from practical daily drivers to high-performance dream machines, Mark Stewart’s Elite Autos NI is a family-run business built on focus, mistakes, resilience and a lifelong love of cars. From Quarry

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Leapmotor Drives into Northern Ireland with Donnelly Group Appointment

Donnelly Group, Northern Ireland’s largest privately owned vehicle retailer, has been appointed as the exclusive Leapmotor dealer for Northern Ireland, marking a significant step in the brand’s local growth. Backed by Stellantis, one of the world’s leading automotive groups, Leapmotor brings together forward-thinking electric and hybrid

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Fifty Years on the Road: The McGillions Story

From a handful of cars beside a pub to a trusted family dealership in Sion Mills, McGillions has built its reputation on reliability, relationships and doing business the right way. When Brian McGillion talks about the motor trade, he does not begin with engines, franchises or forecourts. He begins with

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Ford Explorer: Big cruiser, bold tech - but is Ford’s new Explorer truly an explorer at heart?

The Ford Explorer name carries serious baggage. In the US it’s an icon; in the UK it’s largely a cinematic footnote best known for outrunning dinosaurs. Now, Ford has rebooted the badge for Europe as a mid‑size electric SUV, engineered in Germany and built on Volkswagen Group’

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Parent & Child Parking Spaces: What the research shows about misuse & fines

New research indicates that most drivers in Northern Ireland support fines for the misuse of parent and child parking spaces. The findings come from a survey of 700 motorists carried out by CompareNI.com in May 2026. What the research found The survey found that 59% of respondents believe car

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Nissan Ariya NISMO: A Family EV With A Racing Heartbeat

Nissan’s first Ariya to wear the NISMO badge blends a sharper chassis, punchier all-wheel-drive and motorsport styling cues. It’s quick, grippy and surprisingly usable—if you can live with the weight and a few fussy touch controls. Key specs: Nissan Ariya NISMO (e-4ORCE AWD) | £56,

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Cheap Car Insurance on Social Media? How NI Drivers Can Spot a Ghost Broker

For many young drivers in Northern Ireland, getting on the road is a major milestone. A first car can mean more independence, easier travel to work or college, and more flexibility in everyday life. But for many drivers, the cost of insurance can quickly become one of the biggest barriers.

Safari Rally Kenya: Survival, Strength and Symbolic Success

Safari Rally Kenya once again delivered a brutal reminder of why it remains one of the most feared events on the World Rally Championship calendar. Round three of the 2026 WRC season brought joy and frustration in equal measure for Irish and British crews, as unforgiving terrain, torrential rain and

Katsuta Triumphs Again as Drama Unfolds at WRC Croatia

Takamoto Katsuta and County Tyrone co‑driver Aaron Johnston delivered a second successive World Rally Championship victory at Croatia Rally, guiding TOYOTA GAZOO Racing to the top step once again and propelling Katsuta into the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in his career. Returning

McErlean takes eighth as Rally Islas Canarias tests Irish crews…

Kilrea’s Josh McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy finished eighth overall for M-Sport Ford on a fast, technical Rally Islas Canarias, as changeable conditions and tyre calls shaped a weekend of learning for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy-linked crews. Driving the Ford Puma Rally1, McErlean and Treacy

MOFFETT CLAIMS THIRD WEST CORK VICTORY TO IGNITE TITLE CHALLENGE

NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes claimed their third West Cork Rally victory in five years after seven stage wins across the opening two days of action proved too much for their Irish Tarmac Rally Championship rivals. A final-day charge from ITRC leaders

Volkswagen’s new full-hybrid: electric running, no plug required

A new self-charging hybrid system is set for the Golf and T‑Roc, promising more EV-style driving without the cost—or hassle—of plugging in. Volkswagen is readying a new full-hybrid drivetrain for the Golf and T‑Roc, due to arrive from the fourth quarter of this

Volvo EX30 Review: Big Volvo Values in a Small Electric Package

Volvo has made a habit of redefining itself in the electric era, but the EX30 may be its boldest statement yet. As the smallest SUV the Swedish brand has ever produced, the EX30 distils Volvo’s core values—safety, sustainability and understated design—into a compact, fully electric package aimed

Renault 5 E Tech Electric Crowned UK Car of the Year 2026

The Renault 5 E‑Tech electric has achieved a major milestone after being named UK Car of the Year 2026, securing the top accolade in the annual UKCOTY Awards. The all‑electric supermini had already collected the Small Car of the Year title earlier in the competition, setting the stage

Suzuki Launches eVitara in Ireland: Brand’s First Fully Electric SUV...

Suzuki has officially launched the eVitara, the brand’s first fully electric car, with UK deliveries having begun in October 2025. The new model marks a major milestone in Suzuki’s global electrification strategy and introduces an all-new EV platform, fresh design language, and a choice of two battery

Star Car Show to bring film and TV vehicle replicas to Belfast this August

Two-day event at the Eikon Exhibition Centre will combine movie-themed displays with classic and performance cars BELFAST — The Star Car Show will take place on 29–30 August 2026 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, with early-bird tickets available online. A new family event combining motoring culture with

North West 200 2026: High Drama, Red Flags and Performances to Remember

Strong winds, repeated stoppages and no shortage of tension made Saturday at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 a test of nerve as much as speed. Yet through seven red flags and six interrupted races, the Triangle still delivered the kind of duels, milestones and breakout rides that define

Momentum builds for Moffett…

Sam Moffett and Pierce O’Callaghan scored a top Brown & Brown points position at the McKinney Competitions Circuit of Ireland to now sit two points shy of series leader Jonathan Greer, writes William Neill.   Moffett, taking part on both days, finished fourth in the overall rally but importantly was

Greer wins Bishopscourt!

A fastest time on the final stage from Aaron McLaughlin wasn’t enough to budge Jonathan Greer from the lead position with the Carryduff man and Niall Burns taking their Toyota Yaris Rally2 to its first win at the Brown & Brown opener by 8.5 seconds, writes William Neill.

McGonigle takes back Fivemiletown

For the second time IN-Sport’s Niall McGonigle has won the Samsonas Fivemiletown Rally - putting to bed a retirement last year - to now lead the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge, writes William Neill. Running Pirelli tyres the Strabane man, with co-driver Caolan McKenna, moved into

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Mazda CX 60

Crafted in Japan, tuned for Britain Mazda’s CX‑60 represents one of the boldest shifts in the brand’s modern history. Positioned above the mainstream CX‑5 and sitting alongside the larger CX‑80, this is Mazda stepping confidently into premium territory – and doing so with a distinctly Japanese

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Northern Ireland Car Insurance Prices Remain High as GB Drivers See Bigger Falls

For many drivers across Northern Ireland, the cost of keeping a car on the road remains a real concern. While car insurance prices have started to fall across much of the UK, new figures from our partner CompareNI.com show that Northern Ireland has seen only a very small drop.

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Honda Civic e-HEV…

Refined Hybrid Hatchback with Driver Focus Still Intact In a marketplace increasingly dominated by full electric vehicles, the Honda Civic e:HEV stands out as a refreshingly sensible alternative. Blending self‑charging hybrid efficiency with traditional Honda driving polish, the latest refreshed Civic proves that electrification doesn’t have to

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MINI turns 25: the Oxford-built icon that keeps reinventing itself

There are cars you buy, and cars that quietly move into the national psyche. The modern MINI—cheeky, compact and unmistakably British—belongs firmly in the second camp. And in 2026 it hits a landmark worth celebrating: 25 years since BMW Group restarted MINI production in the UK, turning a

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Kia Sportage…

Sharper looks, broader choice and improved tech keep Kia’s bestseller firmly on top Few cars define Kia’s success in the UK quite like the Sportage. First launched in 1995 and now into its fifth generation, it has become not only Kia’s best‑seller, but one of the