+++ Through the first quarter of this year, the AUDI Q5 accounted for roughly a third of all new cars sold by the German brand in the United States. However, Q5s could soon start disappearing from dealership lots because of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs. While many automakers are still trying to figure out which tariffs apply to them, Trump has created a dizzying level of uncertainty with policies that leave plenty of room for interpretation. Sources familiar with Audi’s strategy indicate that the brand expects to face 3 new tariffs, totalling a staggering 52.5%. The first blow is a 25% levy on imported cars and any non-US parts. The second is another 25% tariff on cars imported from Mexico. On top of that, a 2.5% fee applies for not fully complying with the USMCA free-trade agreement. Speaking with Bloomberg, an Audi spokesperson said the brand plans to keep selling the Q5 in the United States and is looking for how to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. It’s likely hopeful that Trump will change his mind on the auto tariffs and institute a pause, just as he did on the so-called reciprocal tariffs for dozens of countries this week. If Audi does plan to keep selling the Q5 locally, it’s hard to imagine how it will be able to justify doing so without massive price hikes. Audi Q5 models sold in the United States are manufactured at the company’s San Jose Chiapa plant in Mexico. Currently, only the outgoing generation is available in America, though the new Q5 is also built at the same site. This plant produces vehicles for the global market, which means the Q5 hasn’t been designed to meet USMCA compliance. According to Bloomberg, just 2% of the Q5’s content is sourced from the US or Canada. VW chief executive Oliver Blume says the global car making giant is waiting on additional clarity from the US administration before it makes any investment decisions, such as potentially building vehicles in the United States. Audi models to be tariffed are currently being held at U.S. ports. Dealers are thought to have approximately a 2-month supply of vehicles that won’t be hit with the tariffs. VW was reportedly weighing up the possibility of building some Porsche and Audi models at the same plant currently under construction in South Carolina for the Scout Traveller and Scout Terra. However, no move has been confirmed, and this is not a short-term solution, as the site isn’t expected to be ready to begin production until late 2026. +++
+++ BMW confirmed in October plans to make a production version of the Skytop, a concept first shown at Villa d’Este earlier in 2024. The company is only making 50 examples, and they’re all already sold out. Now, we get to see a prototype of the 8-Series-based targa sports car for the first time. A camouflaged Skytop test mule was spotted at the Nürburgring during a recent test pool session. The proportions and fascia look identical to the concept shown back in May. That means a long hood with thin headlights, horizontally slatted kidney grilles, and huge openings on either side of the front bumper. The razor-thin taillights and turbine-inspired wheels also look to be carried over from the original concept. The one bit of new equipment is the targa top, which looks to be made of red cloth, at least on this test mule. It’s unclear if buyers will be able to customize the soft top’s colour, though considering the low-production nature of the Skytop and its price tag (a rumoured $560,000), I wouldn’t doubt it. While it’s tough to see the Skytop’s cabin in this video, we suspect it’ll borrow much of the concept’s interior design, which itself took inspiration from the production 8 Series interior. That means 2 screens: one for the digital gauge cluster and another for the infotainment, followed by a center stack with physical buttons for the climate and radio. BMW hasn’t confirmed any powertrain details, but the Skytop should be graced with the M8’s driveline. That means a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 625 horsepower, sending power to all four wheels via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Deliveries should begin later this year. +++
+++ Fast FORD cars may well have a future beyond the transition into the electric era as Ford’s ST and RS performance models have been given a lifeline. While there are no plans yet to launch all-electric Ford with either ST or RS badging, Ford’s European Product Marketing Chief, Jan Herzog told that the company “would love an ST or RS variant” of its EV models. Herzog also gave hope of a performance-focused version of the new electric Puma Gen-E, even if it’s the next generation model. He stated that “a sportier version; it’s definitely coming if not on this model but the model after”. Ford has already dabbled in sporty electric cars with the 487 hp Mustang Mach-E GT getting a bespoke chassis along with uprated brakes, though the hottest dual-motor versions of the new Capri and Explorer are very much just more powerful iterations of the respective standard models. Those models also remind us that Ford is more than happy to bring back iconic (or in the case of the Explorer, memorable) names with electric power. Sources within Ford’s team have also told me they’d like to see the firm’s sporty sub-brands make a comeback. Ford will soon have just one ST model in its line up when the Focus ST departs later this year, leaving just the Puma ST (which is now only offered with an automatic gearbox) on sale. We might have a while to wait for ST or even RS versions of electric Fords but the idea is definitely in the minds of company executives and engineers. +++
+++ JLR is gearing up to launch a long-mooted and highly anticipated smaller entry level Defender as a crucial new model in its electric car portfolio. The rugged, compact 4×4 is rumoured to have been on the cards for several years but has never officially appeared in JLR’s product roadmap presentations. But spy photographers have spotted the model testing for the first time, confirming development is well under way and indicating it could arrive in dealerships as soon as 2027. The first images reveal it will have a close visual relationship with its full-sized namesake in its chunky, straight-edged proportions, but it will be a smaller, lower-riding proposition and less geared towards off-road performance. Although the company declines to talk about the new model, the name Defender Sport appears to have been added to the Land Rover website, albeit only viewable from a search engine. This moniker would make sense because the Sport nameplate has been used to signify JLR’s more road-focused versions, such as the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Sport. It’s also feasible that the Defender Sport could replace the ageing Discovery Sport model line, given the apparent shared positions of both vehicles and the questions over the Discovery Sport’s future. Now sold as a plug-in hybrid only, the Discovery Sport is the oldest model in JLR’s stable, having arrived in 2014 and been given a substantial facelift in 2019. Sales were originally strong following its launch but they have dropped off since the Covid pandemic and a second-generation model has yet to be confirmed. Autointernationaal.nl has been told that work is currently ongoing to reinvent the full-sized Discovery range and position it away from the more successful (and therefore cannibalising) Defender line-up. However, nothing has been announced about the future of the Discovery Sport. Given the baby Defender’s apparent chunky proportions and off-road pedigree, it could even be positioned to pick up where the popular Freelander (not to be confused with the new JLR-Chery joint-venture Freelander EVs set to be made in China) left off after the Freelander 2 was replaced in the line-up by the Discovery Sport. Indeed, with Defender Sport, JLR has a sought after nameplate because the Defender badge has been a global hit (more than 114.000 were sold in 2024) since its luxury repositioning in 2020. Applying the name to its new entry-level model would help it appeal to a wider group of buyers. To be priced at significantly less than the full-size Defender but with a comparable set of attributes and a tangible familial link, the Defender Sport has the potential to quickly become a volume player for JLR globally. The Defender Sport will be much more compact in all dimensions than the current combustion-engined L663-generation Defender model. Today’s full-sized Defenders use a variation of the D7 platform, which also underpins the Discovery, but the promised electric variant, due in around 2026, will adopt the MLA platform that sits beneath both the ICE and upcoming EV versions of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The baby Defender will be a similar size to its platform siblings. It is likely to measure around 4.6 meter long and 2.0 meter wide and stand at less than 1.8 meter tall, which are similar dimensions to the Dacia Bigster and Skoda Kodiaq. +++
+++ MASERATI sales continue to tumble. The brand is down 48 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, with just 1.700 vehicles sold. The numbers are the latest in a worrying trend for the Italian brand, which saw sales slip 57 percent last year. The persisting slump doesn’t come as a surprise for Maserati. CEO Santo Ficili, hired in October to turn the brand around, predicted 2025 would be a down year as he reorganizes the brand to prepare it for profitability in 2026. Ficili’s plan, outlined during an interview in January, involves building a new team inside the company, repairing relationships with disillusioned dealers, and lots of cost-cutting. He admitted to marketing failures, and highlighted the possibility of price cuts to stay competitive. That could all change thanks to the tariffs. Stellantis recently tapped management consulting firm McKinsey and Company to examine the future of Maserati and its sister brand Alfa Romeo, sparking rumours the 2 carmakers could be sold off. Maserati is the worst-performing brand in the Stellantis portfolio. The company sold just 11.300 vehicles in 2024. To put that in perspective, even rival Ferrari sold more vehicles in the same period, despite a much higher average transaction price. The rest of the Stellantis conglomerate isn’t doing much better. The car-making giant saw deliveries fall in nearly every region it operates, some seeing a decline as large as 20 percent. Only South America saw in increase in sales year-over-year. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Stellantis, but with market uncertainty from tariffs persisting, 2025 could be yet another disaster for the brand. +++
+++ MG has previewed its upcoming CyberX, a new SUV that will be the second model in the brand’s Cyber line-up, which was established last year by the Cyberster roadster. These early images suggest MG’s latest electric SUV will receive a more upright, boxy and rugged silhouette than its existing models and be positioned more towards lifestyle-minded buyers. It also appears to feature illuminated badges and full-width LED light bars front and rear. Rivals are expected to include the new Smart #5. MG’s Cyber sub-brand has been created to target younger buyers and is initially aimed at China. But MG has previously confirmed global ambitions for its Cyber-branded models. The Cyberster, for example, is on sale in the Netherlands. In addition to the CyberX, MG plans to launch 8 new models over the next 2 years across 3 product lines: sports cars, saloons and SUVs. The CyberX will be underpinned by parent company SAIC’s latest E3 electric platform and will be among the first MG models to adopt this new architecture. It is described by SAIC as its “first fully electric, system-level architecture”. It is designed to support a wide range of models (from compact cars to large SUVs and sports cars) and has the flexibility to accommodate “various drivetrain configurations”. At the heart of the structure is SAIC’s new CTB (cell-to-body) construction, where the battery structure contributes to the rigidity of the car’s body, helping to reduce weight and improve efficiency. MG says the new SUV will also be among the first models to receive its new Zebra 3.0 operating system and digital user interface. It is designed to offer more contemporary voice recognition and connectivity features than existing MG systems. New MG models based on the E3 platform will also use Horizon Robotics’ J6 chip, which is expected to support new developments in driver monitoring, navigation and semi-autonomous functions. Together, these systems will underpin the CyberX’s technical package, although full drivetrain specifications and battery specifications have yet to be revealed. +++
+++ It’s been about 5 years since the TOYOTA GR YARIS came out. The hot hatch underwent a facelift in early 2024, but as it turns out, Toyota is still finding ways to improve its diminutive performance car. For 2025, the feisty subcompact car gains a body kit of 6 items. By far, the most noticeable is the rear wing, which the driver can adjust for a track day. It’s claimed to increase stability at higher speeds and during hard braking. The updated GR Yaris also has better engine cooling for the turbocharged 1.6-liter 3-cylinder mill. The hood with a central duct is borrowed from the flagship GRMN limited-run special edition, but it’s made from aluminium instead of carbon fiber. Speaking of ducts, Toyota added new ones behind the front wheels to boost the car’s stability during high-speed cornering. There are even more ducts at the corners of the rear bumper to achieve a lower drag coefficient. The aero pack is rounded off by the front spoiler lip and a newly designed undercover for the fuel tank, adapted from the GR Yaris race car that competes in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series. Toyota also tweaked the eight-speed automatic transmission just a little over a year after its launch with the facelifted model. It touts quicker gear shifts and improved responsiveness, especially when Sport is activated in manual mode. But wait, there’s more. From widened bolts for better rigidity to retuned electric power steering, the GR Yaris has a surprisingly large number of changes for a car that has been around for so long. Toyota also worked on the shock absorbers and made the footrest bigger for the vehicles equipped with the automatic transmission. Additionally, the vertical parking brake availability has been extended across the line-up, while the Toyota Safety Sense is now standard even on the base model in Japan. Prices for the updated GR Yaris start at 3.560.000 yen for the entry-level trim with the manual and rise to 5.330.000 yen for the range-topping version with the auto. For now, Toyota isn’t saying how much the improved GR Yaris will cost on the Dutch market. +++
