UsedCarsNI Blog

Safari Rally Kenya: Survival, Strength and Symbolic Success

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

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…

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 combined pace with

MOFFETT CLAIMS THIRD WEST CORK VICTORY TO IGNITE TITLE CHALLENGE

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 Callum

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

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 year. Designed to

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

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

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 capacities.

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

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 big-screen nostalgia is

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

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…

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

Honda Civic e-HEV…

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

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

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

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

Dubshed 2026: Where the Year Begins

Dubshed 2026: Where the Year Begins

There’s a moment every year when the car show season properly wakes up. A collective shrug turns into intent, winter projects are finally deemed “finished enough”, and the scene remembers exactly why it does this in the first place. For an increasing number of enthusiasts, that moment is marked—

Florida Manor car show draws big crowd to support local church hall appeal

Florida Manor car show draws big crowd to support local church hall appeal

A sunny-day gathering of classic, rally, touring and vintage cars brought hundreds to Florida Manor near Killinchy—raising funds for Killinchy Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church’s plans for a new hall. Florida Manor, just outside Killinchy, provided the backdrop for a car show that mixed the shine of cherished classics with

Kelly claims maiden ITRC victory after dramatic Circuit of Ireland…

Kelly claims maiden ITRC victory after dramatic Circuit of Ireland…

NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship David Kelly and Shane Buckley secured their first Circuit of Ireland and Irish Tarmac Rally Championship victory after a dramatic final day saw them hold off Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes by just half a second. The Donegal crew balanced speed and caution

Why Used EV Searches Have Jumped 79% in Northern Ireland

Why Used EV Searches Have Jumped 79% in Northern Ireland

A clear shift, in real time Used Cars NI has been part of the Northern Irish motoring scene for years. We watch how people here search, what they look for, and how that changes when life around them changes. Right now, something significant is happening. Since fuel prices began climbing

Family Cars NI: From Workshop to Forecourt

Family Cars NI: From Workshop to Forecourt

Josh Heron on Family Cars NI, hard-earned growth, and keeping car sales personal At Logan’s Fashions Complex on Frosses Road, rows of affordable, well‑prepared cars tell only part of the story. Behind Family Cars NI is a far more personal journey— one shaped by early mornings in a

STAR CAR SHOW ROARS INTO BELFAST THIS AUGUST

STAR CAR SHOW ROARS INTO BELFAST THIS AUGUST

29th & 30th August 2026 | Eikon Exhibition Centre, Belfast Northern Ireland, get ready — one of the most exciting new family events of the year has just been announced! The Star Car Show is set to take over the Eikon Exhibition Centre on Bank Holiday Weekend, 29th & 30th August 2026,

20 Years. One Vision: The Story of Used Cars NI

20 Years. One Vision: The Story of Used Cars NI

To mark 20 years of Used Cars NI, I sat down with our Chairman and co-founder Cecil Hetherington to look back at where it all began. From spotting a gap in the market before most people had even heard of online car sales, to overnight van runs and a magazine