+++ AUDI has begun testing a new entry-level model that is set to indirectly replace the A1 and Q2 when they are retired next year. The EV will be the smallest car Audi offers and is set to be positioned as an electric counterpart to both the A3 and Q2. The new EV looks like a smaller version of the Q4 e-Tron but with clear influence from the bubble-like A2 of 1999-2005. Because the new EV won’t serve as a direct replacement for any models, it could wear a new badge, and a resurrection of the long-dormant A2 moniker is one possibility. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner wouldn’t confirm any future naming plans but said it was “thinkable” that the brand could redeploy historic names. While technical details are still under wraps, the new EV is expected to sit on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, which underpins a raft of EVs from the Volkswagen ID.3 to the Ford Capri, Audi Q4 e-Tron and Cupra Tavascan. Given its size and positioning (straddling the boundary between hatchback and crossover), it will most likely be twinned with the Elroq. That car is offered with batteries from 58 kWh to 79 kWh and in its most efficient form can travel up to 580 km on a single charge. The sporty RS version puts out 340 hp. Unlike the Elroq, the new Audi will be a premium offering in the A-segment. Döllner previously said: “There are not many brands in the world, but I think Audi can have a true premium offer in the A-segment”. The decision to replace the A1 and Q2 with a single car is part of “a wider Audi move to simplify the model line-up”, Döllner said. As such, the new EV will be the smallest car Audi will offer, confirmed Döllner, adding that smaller segments “will be utilised by other brands and the Group”; models such as the Volkswagen ID.Polo, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq. This will allow Audi to “focus on a specific portfolio” that will bring “a more focused and a clearer view for the customer”. +++
+++ An initial review of bankrupt subprime AUTOLENDER Tricolor Holdings’ records shows that at least 29.000 loans pledged to creditors were tied to vehicles already securing other debts. Roughly 40% out of some 70.000 active Tricolor loans (which were used as collateral for bank warehouse lines and asset-backed securitizations) are said to have contained attributes identical to those of at least one other loan, including vehicle identification numbers. Since Tricolor filed to liquidate last month, Wall Street banks and ABS holders have been scrambling for any clarity into the finances of the auto lender, which had tapped them for more than $2 billion over the past couple of years. +++
+++ General Motors, Hyundai and Ford said they would extend discounts on certain ELECTRIC models after a $7,500 federal tax credit expired Tuesday, a bid to maintain momentum after a surge in third-quarter sales. Car companies are stepping in to preserve discounts and smooth the sell-down of existing EV inventory. EV sales are expected to slow in coming quarters as Trump seeks to end incentives for such purchases and automakers dial back production and rejigger product plans to add more gasoline and hybrid models. +++
+++ HONDA will show a new addition to its upcoming 0 Series of electric cars at the upcoming Tokyo motor show. The brand confirmed it will be a “new SUV model” that is intended to be more affordable and accessible than the larger 0 SUV that it unveiled at the CES trade show in January. Indeed, a teaser image showing the Japanese brand’s Tokyo show stand appears to reveal that the new SUV is slightly shorter and lower-set than the 0 SUV, with a curved roofline. Alongside the new SUV, Honda will show the previous 0 Saloon and 0 SUV concepts, which are earmarked to be launched in the US next year before a wider global roll-out. Having radical designs and an all-new platform (with batteries claimed to be 8mm thinner than those used by rivals), they represent an effective reset in Honda’s approach to EV development. Honda will also show a new small electric “prototype”, which is expected to showcase developments to the diminutive Super EV concept that was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Honda said this model is currently being tested in the UK and other markets with a strong appetite for small EVs and that it aims for the car to be “fun to drive”. Honda’s vocal commitment to EVs at the Tokyo show comes despite it having reduced its investment into EVs, favouring hybrid powertrains instead. In June, it cut its planned spend on EV development by 18 billion euro to a total of 60 billion euro and said it would now launch 13 new hybrid models between 2027 and 2030. Honda now aims for EVs to become a “pillar” of its business from 2030, said CEO Toshihiro Mibe. +++
+++ JLR is preparing to build its first cars in more than a month, but when production lines will restart remains unclear. A spokesperson reiterated the statement given on Monday (29 September) that production would resume “in the coming days”. They added that restart assessments were being carried out daily. The British manufacturer is still working to recover from a significant cyber attack that brought all its factories to a halt on 1 September. The hack incapacitated the Land Rover maker, forcing it to shut down its internal computer systems in an effort to protect data from being stolen. This resulted in production shutdowns at all of its global plants, created issues with parts ordering and stifled retailers. JLR had originally earmarked 24 September as a potential restart date but pushed any decision back to 10 October. As factory lines remain at a standstill, further details are still unclear, such as which factories will restart first or what its target volumes will initially be. On 29 September, JLR said production will restart in a “controlled, phased” manner, suggesting volumes will initially be restricted. The impact on volumes will be made clear when the company releases its production numbers for the quarter, but in the three months to the end of September last year, it produced more than 80.000 cars. The effect could be costing JLR up to €6 million a day, business economics professor David Bailey has told. The restart comes after the UK government said it will guarantee a €1,7 billion loan to JLR, to help it support suppliers who have been hit by the production shutdown. The loan to the Tata-owned car maker will be issued by a commercial bank, but will be underwritten by the UK government. As well as costing JLR an estimated £50 million a week, the cyber attack has badly hit the firm’s suppliers. It’s estimated that around 150.000 people are employed by some 700 British firms that supply JLR, and the UK government has been investigating ways to support them, such as a furlough scheme or loans. It will instead underwrite a single loan to JLR through the Export Development Guarantee (EDG), with JLR repaying the money over a period of 5 years. Business secretary Peter Kyle said on 27 September that the loan guarantee “will help support the supply chain and protect skilled jobs in the West Midlands, Merseyside and throughout the UK”. Chancellor Rachel Reeves added that the loan would help JLR “support their supply chain and protect a vital part of the British car industry”. Last week, JLR was able to restore some of its IT systems following the back and was able to start paying some of its suppliers. On 25 September, it confirmed that “sections of our digital estate are now up and running”, including its payment systems and that it is “now working to clear the backlog of payments to our suppliers as quickly as we can”. JLR’s Global Parts Logistics Centre, which supplies the parts distribution centres for retailers globally, was also described as “returning to full operations”, meaning servicing and repairs can once again take place. JLR is now also able to digitally sell and register new vehicles (it was previously doing the latter via telephone to the DVLA), as its financial system has been brought back online”. +++
+++ LAMBORGHINI is plotting “crazier” new models after the success of the Hurácan Sterrato and Hurácan STO showed “the sky is the limit” for how dramatically it can reinvent existing cars. “From a brand perspective, these models are giving you opportunities that are immense”, Federico Foschini, the Italian brand’s sales and marketing chief, told. “I think that we even didn’t leverage enough on the opportunity, because you can do a lot of stuff with the Sterrato; and I think that in the future, for sure we can introduce at a certain moment in time this opportunity.’ Hinting at the return of the Sterrato, Foschini said “we know that this is ready; the market is there”, meaning the only remaining hurdle is “we have to execute” it. “We don’t only want to upgrade, we want to surprise,” he said, hinting at the prospect of also launching limited editions of the Urus and Revuelto, rather than sticking with only the Hurácan’s replacement, the Temerario. Foschini said: “We are always looking for crazy things in all dimensions. For example, with the Urus, we went to Pikes Peak. We also presented an Urus just for racing (the ST-X). But sometimes our concepts are becoming a reality”. As well as new derivatives, Lamborghini is ramping up how much personalisation it offers customers in a move to boost profitability without increasing sales volumes. For example, a new paint shop at its Sant’Agata factory means 400 paint finishes are offered on the Revuelto and Temerario alone. +++
+++ The pure-petrol NISSAN JUKE has been judged to be the least reliable car in the United Kingdom, with owners reporting huge repair bills. That is according to What Car?’s 2025 Reliability Survey, which revealed that 24% of petrol Juke owners reported a fault. That gave it the lowest score of all models in the survey. The survey, which received 32.493 responses from owners of cars aged up to 5 years old, also found that 3 in 5 petrol Juke drivers who suffered a fault were charged more than €1.700 for remedial work. It also found that 64% of those who reported a fault with the model had to wait more than a week for a repair. The Juke was followed by the new Volkswagen Tiguan, with which 81% of owners reported an issue. Just over 2 in 5 of those said repairs took more than a week, although, in all cases, VW covered the cost of repairs. Just over half of previous-generation Kia Sportage owners reported problems, with more than 20% of issues being related to the powertrain. Almost half were with a garage for more than a week, although all repairs were covered by Kia. Meanwhile, the current Hyundai i10, current Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota GR Yaris all earned perfect scores for zero owners reporting an issue. What Car? ranked Honda as the most reliable brand, followed by Mini and Suzuki. Lexus, which held the top spot for 7 years until last year, when it was pipped by Mini to first place, fell to 8th, tied with Kia. MG came last for the second year in a row, although its score of 88.9%, determined by the number of issues suffered by owners, how long they had to wait for repairs and how much they had to pay, represented a significant improvement on last year’s 76.9%. Joining the Chinese brand at the foot of the table were Nissan (89.9%) and Fiat (90.1%). +++
+++ PORSCHE is extending the life of its combustion-engined 718 Boxster and Cayman with new “top” versions, and they could be fitted with the 911’s flat-6. The major change, announced by CEO Oliver Blume as a “strategic realignment”, marks a significant shift in the firm’s electric strategy as it also kills off the planned large ‘K1’ electric SUV flagship and extends the life of the ICE Cayenne and Panamera “well into the 2030s”. Porsche will also halt development of its ‘Sport’ version of the Volkswagen Group’s SSP platform that was due to underpin the K1, the electric Panamera and the next Taycan, taking a €1.8 billion hit in doing so. The platform will now arrive next decade. “We have seen a clear drop in demand for exclusive battery-electric cars and we are taking that into account”, said Blume. For the new 718s, “top” versions will most likely mean the continuation of the hardcore Spyder RS and GT4 RS, above the incoming 718 EVs. In a bid to keep costs down (given the U-turn has cost €3.1 billion), Autointernationaal.nl understands Porsche is looking to bring more parity between the 718 and 911 models, especially in terms of powertrains. They already use the same MMB platform but this new approach would simplify production and component sourcing while boosting economies of scale. As such, it is likely to signal the end of the 718’s 4-cylinder era because it is understood that its turbocharged 2.0-litre flat-4 does not meet Euro 7 emissions regulations, which come into force at the end of 2026. Instead, the new “top” 718s are expected to adopt the compliant T-Hybrid set-up introduced in the 911 Carrera GTS. This is because that set-up’s new flat six is 110 mm shorter than the 911’s standard twin-turbo engine, which is crucial for the 718’s packaging. The move effectively resurrects the original, highly successful Boxster business case: a slightly detuned 911 engine in a more accessible mid-engined chassis. However, another critical question arises: how does Porsche plan to homologate a new combustion-engined sports car well into the 2030s, given the EU’s GSR2 regulations effectively killed off the current ICE 718? While a ‘small series’ exemption exists for up to 1.500 non-compliant vehicles per year, it is an unlikely solution because Porsche’s volumes, even for niche “top-version” models, would quickly exceed that limit. The more plausible answer is that Porsche will need to invest in fully updating the ICE 718 to meet GSR2; another likely reason for keeping costs down elsewhere, such as during production. Alongside the new ICE 718s, Porsche’s K1 flagship will now be launched with combustion and plug-in hybrid power only, replacing the planned electric set-up. No launch date has been given. The K1 EV was first announced in 2022, along with plans for the third generation Panamera and second-generation Taycan, and was due to arrive in 2027 or 2028. The new K1 will join the recently announced ‘M1’, a replacement for the ICE Macan that was axed last year. The M1 will be twinned with the third-generation Audi Q5 and, like the K1, will be offered with combustion and plug-in hybrid variants. Despite the announcements, Blume said the company is still committed to electrification: “They excite a specific and growing customer group”. Indeed, Porsche is about to launch the new Cayenne Electric, which is based on the VW Group’s 800V PPE architecture, and already sells Macan and Taycan EVs. Porsche said the combined circumstances will cut its predicted net profit margin to around 2% this year but it forecast a return to growth in the “medium term”, when it planned to grow margins back above 10% with the new products rolling out. Blume said: “This flexibility gives us a strong position with a compelling mix of combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles”. +++
+++ ROLLS-ROYCE will soon reveal a 25-run special edition of its Phantom flagship to commemorate the nameplate’s centenary. Described as an “exclusive Rolls-Royce Private Collection”, the new model will be based on the current eighth-generation Phantom, on sale since 2018, using its famed twin-turbocharged V12 engine. More details will be revealed in the coming weeks, but Rolls-Royce has said the new model introduces a unique interior that benefits from a number of technical firsts for the brand: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering and 24-carat gold leafing. The Goodwood-based company also said it features “the most intricate woodwork in the marque’s history”, which involved special staff training as part of a 1-year development process. Rolls-Royce bespoke boss Phil Fabre de la Grange said: “To honour Phantom in its centenary year, we’ve pioneered ground-breaking woodworking techniques, combining 3D ink layering, 3D marquetry and gilding within a single surface. These intricate processes push materials to the limits of their natural tolerance, transforming each panel into a stunning, tactile sculpture. Having seen first-hand the challenges and possibilities of woodcraft at Rolls-Royce, I can say with certainty that [we have]unlocked remarkable new possibilities for Bespoke”. Rolls-Royce last revealed a Private Collection of 10 units in 2024 at the Monterey Car Show. Named the Phantom Scintilla, it was said to be inspired by the firm’s famed Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. While many of Rolls-Royce’s sales are now entirely unique commissions, its Private Collections are considered by many as collectibles and allow the firm to showcase its latest innovations to customers. +++