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Car Deal of the Day: The Hyundai Kona Electric is a distinctive SUV for under £218 a month

Car Deal of the Day: The Hyundai Kona Electric is a distinctive SUV for under £218 a month

Auto Express17 hours ago
Strong design; quality interior
319-mile range
Just £217.66 a month
Two years in the electric car world feel like two decades at the moment, thanks to the relentless stream of new models and technology arriving. So, you might assume the Hyundai Kona Electric, which debuted in 2023, might be a faded also-ran by now. Advertisement - Article continues below
That's really not the case, though, as time really hasn't taken the sheen off the Kona Electric. It's still as fresh-faced as it was when it launched, and remains excellent value for money.
How so? Well, with deals like this one. Through the Auto Express Buy A Car service, Lease Car UK is offering the small electric SUV for just £217.66 a month.
Naturally, there's an initial payment to sort, but it's a reasonable £2,959.22. The deal is for two years and annual mileage is capped at 5,000. A jump up to 8,000 will only cost an extra £16.13 a month.
Here you'll be getting the Advance model, and while it is the entry-level version, it's packed with goodies. Standard features include 17-inch alloys, cruise control with stop and go, dual-zone climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and full LED headlights. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Hyundai even throws in a heat pump to potentially make the car more efficient in colder weather, plus vehicle-to-load tech so you can power other electrical items from the car's battery.
In terms of power, the Kona Electric gets a 65.4kWh battery and a single 218bhp motor. Performance is more than quick enough, and thanks to those 17-inch wheels the Advance has the best range of any Kona, at an impressive 319 miles (WLTP).
Inside is a really nice place to be thanks to a great mixture of modern tech and traditional, physical buttons. It's well screwed together, plus there's plenty of interior space.
The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Find A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top Hyundai Kona Electric leasing offers from leading providers on our Hyundai Kona Electric page.
Check out the Hyundai Kona Electric deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here…
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Samsung Z Flip 7 review: I was too young for the original flip-phone era - but I'm totally converted with this retro revival
Samsung Z Flip 7 review: I was too young for the original flip-phone era - but I'm totally converted with this retro revival

Daily Mail​

time11 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Samsung Z Flip 7 review: I was too young for the original flip-phone era - but I'm totally converted with this retro revival

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more These relics might have a soft spot in the hearts of many tech fans, but I'm ashamed to say I was simply too young to enjoy the first flip-phone era. However, even without the benefit of rose-tinted nostalgia, I've been totally converted by this retro rival. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is Samsung 's latest iteration of the Z Flip series, and joins the book-like Galaxy Fold 7 as one of the company's two flagship foldables. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is available in a choice of three colours - Blue Shadow, Jetblack, and Coralred - and costs £1,049 or £1,149 depending on the storage option. Its main selling point is the 'clamshell' folding design, which lets you snap the handset closed into a package small enough to slip into your pocket. While it might not be as much of a game-changer as the Galaxy Fold 7, Samsung has succeeded in making a flip-phone that is simply great fun to use. Whether it was sat, neatly folded on my desk or flipped open to reveal the gorgeous 6.9-inch AMOLED display, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 mixes form and function to great effect. An average battery and middling cameras might be a concern for some, but if there's been a flip-phone-shaped hole in your life since the 2000s, this could be the device to fill it. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Our verdict Rating: Although it isn't perfect, Samsung has finally offered a folding phone that feels worth the extra cost compared to slab phones. Taking one of the biggest displays available on a Samsung phone and folding it down to a pocket-sized square isn't just great fun; it really enhances the phone's practicality. The only thing that holds the Galaxy Z Flip 7 back is the less-than-spectacular battery life and camera options that feel a little weak for a phone of this price. However, while I can't say that this is the right phone for everyone, I simply adore Samsung's refreshing modern take on the flip-phone. How we test our phones When we test phones, we make sure to put them through their paces in as many real-world environments as possible. That means seeing how they work at home, in the office, and out in public for all the situations your device needs to handle. We evaluate devices based on their hardware, software, and overall appeal - testing everything from camera quality and battery life to how easy they are to type with. Each phone is tested for at least a week, allowing us to provide an in-depth review to help consumers make an informed decision. Why trust us? Wiliam Hunter is a science and technology reporter at MailOnline and has been testing and reviewing products for two years. He completed a master's degree in Newspaper Journalism at City University London in 2022. Design Unfolded, the device is 6.56 inches tall by 2.96 inches wide and just 6.5mm thick. That puts it on the larger and thinner end for most smartphones, coming in a little taller and slimmer than the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But when the phone is closed, you're left with a neat little block measuring just 3.36 inches by 2.96 inches. In this form, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is pretty chunky at 13.7 mm thick and weighing 188 grams, but I really don't mind the extra heft. The device feels reassuringly solid, fitting nicely into the palm of your hand or sitting stably on a table. Despite the thickness, the design is so compact that there were times when I honestly forgot it was in my pocket. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 also looks fantastic. Perhaps I've spent too long looking at smartphones, but to me, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is absolutely adorable. Compared to the ocean of identical metal and glass slabs on the market, this compact foldable is, simply put, cute. The front display is a nearly square 4.1-inch display that, in a colossal improvement over the Galaxy Z Flip 6, wraps around the two small cameras. In its folded form, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's front screen is pleasantly reminiscent of my beloved 2010s tech favourites, the Tamagotchi and iPod Nano 6. We received our review model in the colour Blue Shadow, which looks stunning, but the vibrant Coralred also looks like an extremely fun alternative. Display Compared to the previous Galaxy Z Flip 6, this updated model has bigger screens both inside and out. On the outside, the display has grown from 3.6 inches to 4.1 inches, which really makes a noticeable difference. Considering you can't use most apps from this outer display, the screen quality is almost unnecessarily good. It's a Super AMOLED with a variable refresh rate of 60-120Hz and extremely high peak brightness of 2,600 nits, coupled with Samsung's Vision Booster to improve outdoor viewing. Inside, there is a 6.9-inch display compared to the 6.7-inch display on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. That gives the Galaxy Z Flip the same screen size as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and an even bigger display than the Google Pixel 9 XL. This inner screen is a Super AMOLED display with a variable refresh rate of 1-120Hz and the same peak brightness of 2,600 nits. During testing, I found that both screens were extremely bright, colourful, and clear. The slightly larger inner display was a real bonus, especially for typing out emails or watching videos on YouTube. The inner screen is a bit more reflective due to the flexible material and smudges a lot, which can make it a little difficult to use outdoors. However, the extra brightness usually makes up for any difficulties. The crease, an unavoidable feature of folding phones, is just about visible when the screen is off but practically disappears whenever the display is in use. I also noticed that the crease seems to show up more in pictures than it does to the naked eye, so don't be too put off by how it might look in images online. Performance The Galaxy Z Flip 7's one major deviation from other Samsung models is that it comes with Samsung's own Exynos 2500 processor. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Motorola Razr Ultra, meanwhile, both ship with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. Samsung says that this chipset has just as much power as the Snapdragon, and, based on our testing, there's no reason to doubt that. The Z Flip 7 allows you to run two apps at the same time, with the option to add a third as an overlay, and manages this without any hint of juddering. However, the phone does become quite warm during extended periods of high-intensity use. Samsung has increased the battery size from 4,000mAh on the Z Flip 6 to 4,300mAh on the Z Flip 7. That's a fairly big increase and only a little shy of the 4,400 mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Samsung says that this can deliver 31 hours of video playback at 720p for content stored locally on the phone. Battery life was by no means terrible, but for the price, I'd like to see something a little more impressive - especially considering that the smaller Google Pixel 9 Pro packs a 4,700 mAh battery. In our testing, I found that the phone easily lasted a full day of regular use, but could dip worryingly low if I was streaming a lot of content or creating a mobile hotspot on a long train journey. Certainly not enough to be a deal-breaker for most people, but if you want that extra peace of mind that comes with a massive battery life, it's something to consider. In terms of day-to-day use, the screen is more than large enough to make typing comfortable and easy for emails and texts. Calls sounded crystal clear thanks to the Galaxy Z Flip 7's excellent in-built speakers, and I found that the device had excellent network connectivity. Camera The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 are probably one of its weakest points. Samsung has kept the 50 megapixel main camera and 12 megapixel ultrawide from the Z Flip 6, along with a 10 megapixel inner selfie camera. The cameras are absolutely fine for most people, but they're nothing too exciting. The big change is that the phone now packs Samsung's latest ProVisualEngine, which digitally analyses and enhances your photos. Generally, photos from the Z Flip 7 look surprisingly good for their specs and capture a great amount of detail. Side by side with a picture from the Fold 7's 200 megapixel main camera, the difference isn't that noticeable. The Z Flip 7's cameras are nothing too exciting, but will be more than good enough for most regular users to get some nice photos. Picture taken on the Z Flip 7 Although the 10 megapixel selfie camera takes perfectly fine photos, a great feature of the Z Flip 7 is that you never have to use it. You can simply open the camera app while the phone is still folded, using the front display as your preview and take a photo or video with the 50 megapixel main camera. In addition to being an extremely neat party trick, this is a great way to easily get some crisp-looking shots. Software The Galaxy Flip 7 is one of the first phones to ship with Android 16 and runs on Samsung's OneUI 8. That gives you plenty of great features, such as the Now bar, which provides updates on ongoing activities like sports scores, music playback, and timers. Samsung also has some of the best AI features on any smartphone at the moment, with its own in-house tools and access to Google's AI services. That gives you access to writing, image editing, transcription, and translation services, which are simple and easy to use. I had a great time playing with Samsung's AI picture editing tools, turning my crude doodles into photorealistic edits or turning my cat into a cute cartoon. Google services include the Gemini chatbot, which lets you ask questions about what's happening on screen, and Circle to Search. Unusually, Gemini struggled to identify buildings in a few photos during testing - despite having performed well on this task when running on the Z Fold 7. For example, when shown a picture of the Design Museum, the AI insisted that it was the Francis Crick Institute building in Cambridge, even telling me that a sign 'clearly' stated that this was the case. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 also has plenty of tools that you can use on the outer screen. You can view notifications, respond to messages, set timers, access the voice recorder and use a few other widgets. I found being able to check my shopping list without needing to open the phone or look for the app was really useful. Google Gemini really struggled to identify the Design Museum, London, repeatedly telling me that it was the Francis Crick Institute. The AI even claimed that there was a sign in the picture saying that this was the case Some apps like Spotify and WhatsApp also have their widgets that you can use from the outside screen. To use other apps on the cover screen, you need to download Samsung's MultiStar plugin from the Galaxy Store. This isn't difficult to do, but it really should be a default feature from the start. Price Starting at £1,049, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a bit more expensive than the Galaxy S25+ at £999 and the Google Pixel 9 at £799. However, it still comes in slightly cheaper than the iPhone 16 Pro Max at £1,199. For a foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is fairly middle of the road in terms of price. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs £1,799 and the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra costs £1,099.

Could a wealth tax work in the UK? A visual guide
Could a wealth tax work in the UK? A visual guide

The Guardian

time41 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Could a wealth tax work in the UK? A visual guide

A rise in taxation at the autumn budget looks inevitable, as Rachel Reeves grapples with £40bn hole in the public finances. That figure comes from a recent report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), which blames the deficit on higher-than-expected borrowing levels and a weaker growth outlook for the UK economy. The question now facing the chancellor is: who should pay more? A growing chorus of voices across the Labour party say a wealth tax is the answer. Politicians from across the divide have the habit of talking about wealth taxes in vague terms, often perpetuating misconceptions. Here's a visual breakdown of the key elements of a wealth tax system. The analysis uses figures from the most in-depth study of a potential UK wealth tax so far, produced in 2020 by the Wealth Tax Commission, a panel of leading economists assembled by tax experts Arun Advani, Emma Chamberlain and Andy Summers. Summers, director of CenTax and co-author of the 2020 study, said: 'Given the limited information HMRC currently hold on wealth, a wealth tax would be difficult to deliver any time soon. A better way to raise money from wealth would be to reform Capital Gains Tax (CGT). This is not just about raising rates. The Government should introduce an investment allowance and close gaps that currently allow some business gains to go completely untaxed. Doing this would be good for investment and growth, and raise over £13bn annually by the end of the Parliament.' The Institute of Fiscal Studies has similarly argued that an annual wealth tax would be a 'poor substitute for properly taxing the sources and uses of wealth'. Treasury officials are understood to favour the latter. Critics say a wealth tax would be too difficult and costly to implement, and that wealthy individuals would be able to move their holdings or to simply leave the country. They point to countries such as Austria, Denmark and Germany's decision to scrap similar taxes in the past. However, other countries including Spain and Switzerland have been successfully using wealth taxes to raise significant sums for generations. In their letter to the government the economists in favour of a wealth tax argue that the UK can overcome these difficulties – by leveraging digital technology and studying previous attempts to tax wealth – and pioneer a progressive tax system 'fit for the 21st century'. Tax revenue figures for income tax freeze, national insurance rise and pension contribution relief are taken from NIESR. The figures for capital gains equalisation are taken from the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation. Wealth distribution by asset class data is taken from the ONS Survey of Personal Incomes 2022-2023. UK Wealth inequality data and figures on UK total wealth ownership are from 2023 and are provided by the Wealth Inequality Lab. Wealth tax model and figures are from the Wealth Tax Commission (WTC) report and their 2020 tax simulator (the WTC study input figures are from 2018). The Guardian uprated the WTC figures by a nominal GDP increase of 39.13% between 2018 and 2025. 2018 GDP figures are from the ONS, while 2025 GDP figures are from the OBR. Figure adjustments by nominal GDP are rough estimates, conducted by the Guardian in consultation with the original researchers.

William and Kate set to move into new eight-bedroom home
William and Kate set to move into new eight-bedroom home

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

William and Kate set to move into new eight-bedroom home

The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, are preparing to move into Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park later this year. They will relocate with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, to the eight-bedroom property. The royal couple are reportedly covering the costs of the property and its renovations themselves, ensuring no expense to the taxpayer. This new residence is a short distance from their current home, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, allowing their children to continue attending Lambrook School nearby. Forest Lodge is a Grade II-listed property, estimated to be worth approximately £16 million on the open market, with the King retaining the freehold.

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