This Secondhand Alfa Romeo Deserves A Second Look

Our Cruise Control trio returns this week bearing news, views and reviews of the local and regional automotive market.

First, we look at the Jaecoo J7, China's long-awaited luxury off-roader SUV, currently available in our local markets, then turn to electronics manufacturer Xiaomi, which debuted the SU7 this month, an all-electric sedan that's unfortunately already plagued with accounts of crashes and delays. We find out why we probably won't be seeing the award-winning Geely Yinhe E8 as a rebadged Proton, and dive into Alfa Romeo's first ever EV: the Milano. Finally, the launch of the iCar V23, a small compact SUV from Chery-Smartmi, a joint venture between the carmaker and a Xiaomi subsidiary.

From new releases to viral news, we investigate the troubling story of the Chery Omoda 5's failing brakes after a video of a Malaysian woman's experience with the car on our highways made its rounds on social media. And of course, sightings of the Tesla Cybertruck have already sparked stories of use and abuse in the name of online clout before it has even rolled into local showrooms.

To round up the show, in our used car review this week, we polish off and shine a spotlight on the Alfa Romeo 147 Manual as Daniel shares why you might want to take a second look at the hatchback.

Image credit: The TMPGS Journal