Mat Watson
Mat Watson focuses on how cars perform, feel and make financial sense for everyday buyers, using comparison-led testing and video to show clear differences between models. He covers new cars, performance models, electric vehicles and emerging brands for Carwow, combining detailed reviews, drag races, side-by-side comparisons and buyer-focused lists. As Chief Content Officer and lead presenter, he directs the masthead’s editorial output and front-of-camera coverage across its websites and major YouTube channels.
Drag races and video-led car reviews
Watson’s coverage is built around video reviews and test routines that put cars through repeatable, high-visibility exercises such as drag races and off-road challenges. He presents Carwow’s flagship YouTube reviews, using multi-camera setups, measured performance runs and structured walkarounds to highlight acceleration, handling, practicality and cabin details across everything from hatchbacks to high‑performance sports cars.
In pieces such as his review of the Volvo ES90, he combines objective test results with pointed comments on usability, calling out aspects that make the car “really good” while also “so annoying”, which sets a tone of candid, experience-based critique. His round‑up of the best cars he has driven in 2026 so far shows how he revisits vehicles tested over many months and pulls out those that impressed most in real use, rather than relying only on spec sheet comparisons.
New models, performance cars and electric innovation
Watson is often positioned at the front of Carwow’s coverage of new and high‑profile models, particularly in the performance and electric segments. He introduces major launches such as the latest BMW 7 Series, framing the car as a “Mercedes S‑Class killer” and walking through the “massive upgrades” in technology, powertrains and cabin comfort, which underlines his focus on competitive positioning within the luxury market.
His review of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra centres on its 1,548hp tri‑motor setup and the price point of around £55,000, illustrating a recurring interest in electric cars that blend extreme performance with disruptive pricing.
He also fronts stories on halo performance models like the Hennessey Blackbird, described as “America’s Koenigsegg”, where he explains how a back‑to‑basics engineering approach affects character and appeal compared with more complex hypercars. Across these pieces he repeatedly links power, technology and pricing, showing how new models fit into the broader landscape of performance and electric cars rather than treating them in isolation.
Emerging brands, Chinese manufacturers and global line‑ups
Watson’s recent work gives significant space to Chinese and other emerging manufacturers, treating them as a core part of the future car market rather than a side story.
Features such as “The 5 fastest Chinese cars Mat Watson has ever driven” and “The 10 most important new Chinese cars coming to the UK” demonstrate a sub‑beat focused on speed, technology and market impact from brands that are only beginning to reach wider audiences. His “Car of the Day” slot on the Chery Tiggo 4, emphasising how cheap it already is, shows how he connects these manufacturers to value‑conscious buyers rather than just enthusiasts following global car news.
Electric coverage such as the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra review further anchors Chinese brands within his broader EV reporting, reinforcing the idea that they now compete directly with established European and American makers on performance and price. This thread through his work makes him a consistent voice on the arrival and positioning of new players in the UK and European markets.
Ownership, value and long‑term use
Alongside launch reviews and performance tests, Watson spends time on stories that track what cars are like to live with and how they stack up on costs.
His long‑term review of the BMW M5 Touring, introduced as “living with a controversial performance estate”, follows the car over an extended period and surfaces practical trade‑offs between speed, comfort, image and everyday usability. Lists such as “The 10 cheapest cars to service, according to their owners” and round‑ups of the “best cars” he has driven so far in a given year show his interest in running costs and real‑world feedback, using owner data and cumulative experience rather than one‑off test drives. Shorter features like “Mat’s deal of the day”, where he highlights a stylish hatchback available for less than £10,000, and “Mat’s Car of the Day” on models such as the Chery Tiggo 4, map his testing work directly to value‑driven recommendations.
In comparison pieces like analysing why there is nearly £9,000 between the Alpine A290 and the Renault 5, he breaks down equipment, performance and positioning to explain price gaps in plain terms, reinforcing his focus on cost‑to‑benefit analysis.
Editorial leadership and multi‑platform presence
Watson’s role extends beyond individual reviews to shaping Carwow’s overall editorial approach and multi‑platform presence. He is described as the face of Carwow, fronting the main YouTube channel while overseeing editorial content across the masthead’s UK, Spanish and German sites and social media feeds. The brand’s homepage introduction, where he states that he and his team of expert writers are there to make “car‑changing easy”, reflects a consumer‑oriented mission that threads through his news, advice and review output.
His background of more than two decades in motoring journalism, including magazine writing at Dennis Publishing, presenting the Auto Express and CarBuyer YouTube channels and hosting the ITV4 series “I Want That Car”, underpins a style that mixes enthusiast knowledge with straightforward, buyer‑focused explanations. In addition to his work for Carwow, he runs his own Mat Watson Cars channel, which gives him another avenue for video reviews and helps keep his presenting style tightly connected to audience feedback and engagement.
Taken together, his leadership role, testing experience and multi‑channel presence distinguish his coverage from more conventional text‑only motoring reporting.
4 more automobile journalists.
Adrian Leung
Adrian Leung is a writer at Car News China who applies an electrical and computer engineering background to technically dense coverage of China’s fast-moving electric vehicle market. He focuses on new-energy models, from mainstream family EVs to concept cars, explaining battery systems, drivetrains, and on-board technology with clear numbers and straightforward descriptions. His Sunday China Drive columns look at how specific models fit real-world motoring and household budgets, balancing space, comfort, and affordability. Across launch and revision stories, he tracks BEV and EREV variants, exact dates, horsepower, range, and pricing to show where each EV sits in the broader market. He brings the same detailed focus to concept vehicles, using battery and range data plus component-level and chassis detail to treat them as complete engineering objects.
Alan Dowds
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Alan Feldberg
Alan Feldberg is a fact-led automotive trade reporter who tracks how manufacturers, fleets, mobility providers and repair networks are reshaping the modern motor industry, with a particular focus on the UK car market and its supply chain. He writes concise, data-driven news for Bodyshop Magazine, having been part of its editorial team for years, including a period as Middle East editor. He covers the rise of Chinese vehicle makers, named models and market share, dealer and fleet technology, online retail platforms, leasing, remarketing and mobility networks. He also reports on repair groups, parts distributors, OEM approvals, fuel prices, employment and wider industry pressures. His pieces turn corporate announcements and market reports into clear signals for garages, bodyshops, fleets, dealers and mobility providers.
Alastair Crooks
Alastair Crooks is a senior news reporter at Auto Express who covers both new cars and the infrastructure that will support them, tying factory-scale developments to driveway-level reviews. He focuses on electric cars, mainstream launches and UK pricing, reporting on new and electrified models entering the market, their spec, positioning and what they change for buyers. His road tests of SUVs and saloons assess ride, range, interior space, value and running costs, with clear, sometimes blunt verdicts backed by specifics rather than general impressions. He writes news, reviews, features and occasional opinion columns on driving behaviour and in-car tech, drawing on his background as a car salesman, his degree in journalism and his enthusiast experience at car shows and track days. Some of his work also appears in magazine-style formats.