Alastair Crooks
Alastair Crooks covers new cars and the changing automotive landscape for Auto Express, with a particular focus on electric models, UK pricing and clear, road-tested verdicts.
Electric cars and new model launches
Much of Crooks’s recent news work centres on new electric and electrified models coming to the UK market, with an emphasis on price, spec and positioning.
He has reported on the launch of the Hyundai Ioniq 3, highlighting its UK pricing under £22,000 and framing it as an accessible entry point to electric motoring for mainstream buyers. He covers manufacturer updates such as the Volvo EC40 replacing the C40 Recharge, spelling out the revised model naming and £52,000 price tag for buyers weighing up premium EVs.
His coverage of future products like the 1,153bhp Mercedes-AMG GT SUV presents electric performance cars in terms of headline power figures and their role in expanding the EV range at the top end of the market.
Alongside big-name manufacturers, Crooks also reports on new brands entering the UK, such as the Lepas L8 SUV, treating these arrivals with the same attention to pricing and practicality as more established players. In pieces like the Audi A6 Allroad launch, he sets out how a model is intended to tempt SUV buyers, explaining where it sits between traditional estates and crossovers, and what that balance means for customers. Across these launch stories he consistently ties product news to everyday considerations, showing what a new model or variant changes for someone choosing their next car.
Road tests of SUVs and saloons
Crooks’s reviews show the same focus on real-world use, with detailed assessments of ride, range, interior space and value for money. His Volvo EX30 review breaks down interior layout, dimensions and electric range, giving readers a clear sense of how the smallest Volvo SUV fits into family life and current EV offerings. In his review of the Aion V, he sets out pricing and equipment levels for a relatively affordable electric SUV, weighing its specification against what buyers expect at around £36,000. He applies that value lens to larger vehicles too, as in his review of the biggest MG to date, where he describes it as strong value yet “far from perfect”, underlining that low price does not excuse flaws.
His road test of the new Audi A6 presents a more traditional executive car, but with the same structured judgement on comfort, performance and running costs. In the Lexus ES 2026 review, he is explicit about shortcomings, describing its range and performance as a “huge disappointment” and explaining how those weaknesses undercut the car’s premium positioning. Crooks’s first drive of Volkswagen’s ID. Polo demonstrates his approach when a car impresses, calling it “an easy car to love” while backing that up with comments on refinement, usability and pricing for a small EV. Across these reviews he does not shy away from strong opinions, positive or negative, and anchors them in specifics rather than general impressions.
News and reviews at Auto Express
Crooks is a senior news reporter at Auto Express, with daily responsibilities that include tracking down the latest automotive news and writing reviews.
He joined Auto Express in spring 2019 as a content editor and later moved into the news and reviews team, where he now concentrates on breaking stories and test drives. His stated areas of expertise include news writing, reviews, feature writing and social media, reflecting a remit that spans straight reporting and longer-form coverage.
Before joining Auto Express, Crooks worked as a car salesman for a range of manufacturers, giving him first-hand experience of how people choose and buy cars. He holds a degree in journalism and describes himself as a keen petrol-head who spends his days off at car shows and track days, reinforcing that his enthusiasm for cars extends beyond work. His author information and the Auto Express “Trust” page both present him as someone who speaks with leading figures in the automotive industry, looks at how firms are planning for an electric future and regularly tests the latest cars.
Some of his work is also carried in magazine issues available via platforms such as Readly, indicating that his reporting appears in both online and print-style formats.
The mix of news, reviews and features in his recent output shows this breadth in practice. He has reported on major industrial developments such as the new Tata gigafactory planned for Somerset, describing it as Britain’s biggest battery plant and noting its projected 4,000 jobs, which situates product stories within the wider EV manufacturing and employment context.
That combination of factory-scale news and driveway-level reviews marks him out as a reporter who covers both the cars themselves and the infrastructure that will support them.
Driving experience and in-car tech opinion
Alongside news and reviews, Crooks writes occasional opinion pieces that explore how cars shape driving behaviour and everyday frustration.
In a column on “Buying a car”, he explains why sportier cars could develop better drivers, linking vehicle dynamics to driver engagement and skill. In another recent opinion article he describes his irritation with overly complicated car tech and points readers toward hidden shortcuts that made modern systems more tolerable for him. These pieces show that he does not only report on hardware and specifications but also on how vehicle design and interfaces affect the experience behind the wheel.
Through these opinion columns he brings together his enthusiast background and his test experience, using specific examples from cars he drives to illustrate broader points about safety, enjoyment and usability. Taken with his news and review work, they round out a beat that is defined by electric cars, mainstream launches, and a practical focus on how people live with their vehicles day to day.
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