+++ “Watch this space in terms of hybrids”, says HONDA ’s senior European spokesperson, with the firm planning to continue its focus on multi-fuelled vehicles, despite the full-electric 0 Series SUV coming to Europe next year. Product manager at Honda Europe, Andrew Winfield, said: “We’ve yet to break cover on what the sort of the next generation of our product line looks like, but hybrid is where the volume will sit”. Currently, Honda only sells 1 electric car in Europe, the e:Ny1 crossover, with the remainder of its line-up being either full hybrid or plug-in hybrid. The production version of the electric 0 Series SUV concept is set to enter production later this year and it will go on sale in Europe towards the middle or second half of 2027. I don’t know exactly what to expect from the 0 Series, but I do know the SUV’s range will be “competitive” with rivals such as the Tesla Model Y. A saloon model will follow afterwards, as will another smaller SUV that will compete with the likes of the Skoda Elroq. But the arrival of Honda’s next generation of EVs will not slow its hybrid onslaught. This should perhaps come as no surprise given that the EU Commission recently scrapped its previous EV-only ambitions, permitting the sale of petrol and diesel cars (albeit in limited numbers) beyond 2035. “A multiple energy solution is the way forward”, Winfield explained. “It’s going to be a transition. It’s going to take time. We’ve committed in the past to 30 percent EV sales globally by 2030. I think the reality will probably be a bit less than that”. +++
+++ While I admire Land Rover for reviving the Defender, it’s far from the vehicle that put the name on the map. The original Defender that pre-dated it were no-nonsense workhorses that put utility and capability above comfort and refinement. If anything, it was probably allergic to those words. The new one is hugely talented off-road and incredibly well-mannered on it, but those looking for the charm and appeal of the old one have had to look elsewhere. Enter the INEOS GRENADIER , and it’s more than just a cosplay of the classic Defender. With 3 locking diffs, 2 solid axles, and suspension articulation that will make mountain goats proud, the Grenadier is a true old-school off-roader with modern mod-cons. It’s not great on-road, but true adventurers will love its abilities. For those who complain about its on-road manners, this is not the 4×4 for you. Given its resemblance to the Defender, it was inevitable that the Grenadier would get kits to make it look ever more like the original article. One such package comes from Chelsea Trucks, and at first glance, we can forgive you if you mistake it for an older 110 Defender. It’s rather amusing that a company called Chelsea Trucks would build such a thing. In England, the term Chelsea Tractor isn’t exactly a positive thing and usually refers to luxury SUVs driven in affluent areas and never see a spec of dust in their lifetimes. The irony isn’t lost on me at all. The kit comes from Project Kahn, and for those familiar with the Land Rover aftermarket scene, it’s a name that’s long been associated with the brand. But instead of giving the Grenadier its usual outlandish body kits and flared fenders, Project Kahn did the opposite and tapped into heritage. No surprises then that the SUV is called the Grenadier Heritage Remastered. The Grenadier Heritage Remastered draws heavily on the Defender Heritage Edition from 2015. It’s most apparent in its colorway, draped in a nostalgic shade of Grasmere Green. The white roof is another sweet retro touch that evokes images of classic Series models from days gone by. It then gets an egg-crate grille to draw more parallelisms with older Land Rovers, and it then rides on alloys made to resemble a set of steel rims. It doesn’t get the tall and thin look that old Series models had, so stubby and block all-terrain tires had to do. There’s another version that wears a more formal color, but the tweaks are pretty much the same. As for the interior, anyone interested can get any shade of trim they want, and throw in a couple more extras as far as their bank account can accommodate. The heritage pack also comes with a special set of front and rear bumpers for the proper old-school four-wheel drive look. Headlight clusters were also changed, and it also has hidden LED driving lights behind the grille. Wider fenders are also part of the mods to accommodate the wider tires. As for the engine, it’s unchanged from standard Grenadiers. +++
+++ As with many other EV-only automakers, LUCID MOTORS is forced to face the new realities of the U.S. electric car market in the wake of last year’s termination of the $7.500 EV federal tax credit and the rollback of stricter fuel efficiency targets by the Trump administration. For the California-based EV startup, the drop in electric car demand has led to a 12% reduction of its global salaried workforce. In the email, Lucid interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the “difficult but necessary decision was made to improve operational effectiveness and optimize our resources as we continue on our path toward profitability”. Lucid has yet to turn a profit as it continues to burn cash at an alarming rate. The company has been burning roughly $310 million per month, with quarterly losses reaching around $1 billion in some quarters; for example, Lucid posted a $1.03 billion net loss in the third quarter of 2025. The memo did not specify how many employees were being let go but noted that hourly workers across the manufacturing, logistics and quality teams at its Casa Grande, Arizona assembly plant were not affected by the cuts. Lucid Motors reported having 6.800 full-time employees worldwide at the end of 2024, which suggests that the layoffs are in the hundreds, if not closer to 1.000 assuming staff had grown since late 2024. The magnitude of the layoffs will become clear when Lucid files its annual 10-K filing with the SEC. Winterhoff said the employees impacted by the layoffs would be provided “severance, bonus, continued health benefits, and transition support to help them through this period”. The job cuts affected professionals in battery testing and R&D, EV test and validation, continuous improvement and reliability engineering, simulation and thermal engineering, vehicle logistics, and corporate innovation. In addition, departments like manufacturing engineering, functional safety and autonomous driving, quality engineering, and talent acquisition were reportedly affected. The same source claims that some of the affected workers are former Nikola engineers who joined Lucid less than a year ago after the EV maker acquired select Nikola facilities and assets in Arizona; the electric truck manufacturer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2025. News of the job cuts comes as Lucid is in the middle of ramping up production and deliveries of the Gravity large SUV and is also gearing up to launch a more affordable mid-size EV later this year. The vehicle will start around $50,000 and will likely be a crossover. The Saudi-backed EV maker struggled with Gravity production and quality issues during the first few months after the electric SUV entered production in late 2024 but managed to ramp production last year, ending it with 15.841 units delivered, a double output compared to 2024. Lucid’s interim CEO pledged that the layoffs will not affect the company’s strategy, which includes the start of production of the new midsize model this year, increasing sales for the Air sedan and Gravity SUV across the world, continued ADAS and software development, and an expansion into the robotaxi market. The company is working with Uber and autonomous vehicle company Nuro to launch a robotaxi service in the San Francisco Bay Area late this year. +++
+++ The Renault 5 E-Tech and Citroen ë-C3 might have to watch their backs, because the all-new MG 2 is arriving next year to challenge the highly-talented electric superminis with the kind of exceptional value for money we’ve come to expect from MG, injected with a more British sense of style. It is expected to cost from around €23.000 and be designed to offer the right balance of range, size and price for its class. In order to stand out from all its rivals, there’s a big focus on style with the MG2 that apparently is going to have a more British flavour to it. Jozef Kaban, vice president of global design, revealed that while MG’s UK design team is involved with every project, “here it’s actually even deeper, let’s say more in the even leading position for that project”. Kaban added: “Even when we are talking about an international brand with international design teams in different places, here we know that we want to deliver something that is not just global, but maybe a bit more British”, The design chief described the MG 2 as “like the cute baby in the family” and “kind of a little toy”, being the entry-level EV in the manufacturer’s line-up. “I think we will all enjoy it when it comes out,” he added, “and it will be a little moment that we will probably remember for a longer time”. Kaban wouldn’t reveal any specifics about the car’s design, only that while it may draw from the brand’s other models, such as the sharp, rather dramatic MG 4 or the softer, more rounded MG 4 Urban, this will not be a shrunken version of either. He told us the MG 2 will go in a slightly different direction to both. MG’s head of product and planning in the UK, David Allison, told the MG2 “will give us a real opportunity from a design point of view, and how the brand evolves point of view, to make another statement and make sure that we are continuing to offer product in a segment that we’re not necessarily able to do right now”. The product boss also said the electric supermini segment is “obviously a space that lots and lots of people have moved into, and definitely one that I believe we should be represented in”. I previously assumed the MG 2 would be using the same ‘Modular Scalable Platform’ as the MG4, but now the brand has introduced its next-generation ‘E3’ architecture which focuses on maximising cabin space, efficiency and cost effectiveness; ideal traits for a cut-price electric supermini. The first model based on the E3 platform was the MG 4 Urban, which is more affordable and spacious than the original MG 4 because of a front-wheel drive layout, not rear-wheel drive as with its sibling, and a simpler torsion-beam suspension set-up at the rear. The MG4 Urban has either a 41.9 kWh or 52.8 kWh usable battery, which are very similar in size to the packs offered in the Renault 5 and its near-identical twin, the Nissan Micra. It’s therefore possible the MG 2 will inherit those battery options, too, which would give it upwards of 450 km of range, matching the ID.Polo. The all-new MG2 is due to be revealed in the second half of 2026, but it won’t be making its way into UK showrooms until sometime the following year. +++
+++ The POLESTAR 6 roadster is still in the firm’s product plans, although the range-topper has been deprioritised in favour of the new 2 saloon and 7 small SUV as the brand looks to shore up its volume ambitions and move beyond 100.000 cars a year sold globally. The Polestar 6 electric convertible has been talked about since 2022 when it was previewed by the Polestar O2 concept car, and was originally set to hit the road this year, but won’t now be seen before 2029, as entering core big-selling segments takes priority for the brand. “The Polestar 6 will be small volume”, the company’s chief executive Michael Loscheller told at a media event in Gothenburg. “We are targeting the big-profit potential of segments and that’s what we should have done in the first place. We are working on 6 as a high-end product”. A limited run of 500 LA Concept editions of the car were sold out within weeks of being announced back in 2022, with each secured via a $25.000 deposit. That car was originally scheduled to launch in 2026, ahead of the regular series production version hitting the road as a glamorous drop-top, which sits on a modified version of the Polestar 5 GT’s platform. +++
+++ PORSCHE ’s incoming 7-seat flagship SUV will now be twinned with the forthcoming Audi Q9 and offered with high-powered V8 and V6 powertrains after the firm cancelled plans to launch it as a bespoke electric car. The range-topper, described by Porsche as a D-SUV and known internally under the codename K1, will occupy a market position previously not touched by the brand. It is tentatively scheduled for a launch in 2028. The K1 is expected to be offered in a wide range of configurations, including 4-, 5- and 7-seat layouts. Its size, seating options and technical spec will enable it to challenge the likes of the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. It will sit on parent Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, in line with its Q9 sibling. Audi is developing the seven-seat Q9 as a high-end range-topper, primarily focused on markets such as the US, the Middle East and China. The K1’s move to the PPC follows Porsche’s significant shift in its electric strategy last year as a result of growing financial pressures. Indeed, the decision to base the K1 on the same underpinnings as the Q9 (which Audi has yet to officially confirm) is seen as a key factor in helping Porsche to offset the high cost of developing its new electric models. The PPC has been engineered to use a range of six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines, as well as a next-generation plug-in hybrid system. As a result, the K1 is expected to be launched with a choice of set-ups centred on twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8s and 3.0-litre V6s, with power covering a similar spread to the smaller Cayenne’s 354 – 748 hp offering. Earlier plans had earmarked the K1 as a purely electric model based on the Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform. However, delays in that architecture’s engineering, especially its software, and a slowdown in EV interest (centred on a rapid decline in Taycan sales) have pushed Porsche to instead launch it with combustion power. Nevertheless, an eventual launch of an electric K1 is still planned, Porsche has confirmed. The first K1 models, with petrol and plug-in hybrid power, are expected to be launched around 12 months after the first Q9 models, which are due next year. While Europe is expected to be one of the new Porsche SUV’s largest markets, both the US and China are considered critical to its long-term success. The K1 is expected to be built on the same lines as the Q9 at the Volkswagen Group’s Bratislava plant in Slovakia. The Cayenne EV is also built there, suggesting production potential for the electric K1. The EV was originally earmarked for Porsche’s Leipzig plant but rising manufacturing costs in Germany have forced the car maker to look for a cheaper alternative. +++
+++ Elon Musk announced in January that the TESLA MODEL S no longer fits the automaker’s mission as it focuses more on artificial intelligence and robotics. But at one time, the Model S was a cornerstone of Tesla’s success when it was striving to get out of startup mode. I recall meeting Elon Musk in 2011 during a test drive of an early Model S in Manhattan, initially viewing him as just another entrepreneur pitching a new car. The electric sedan felt radically different from traditional performance vehicles, even as Musk claimed it would change the world. 15 years later, the Model S had indeed helped transform Tesla into a dominant force. But as competition intensified and EV incentives faded, Tesla’s momentum slowed, and Musk announced plans to discontinue the Model S and Model X. Though not Tesla’s first vehicle, the Model S became its breakthrough product. While rivals made strides in electrification, she contends that none matched the Model S in cultural impact. With long range, striking design, over-the-air updates and a vast Supercharger network, the sedan redefined what an EV could be (aspirational, high performance and technologically advanced) forcing legacy automakers to accelerate their own electric strategies. Even as Tesla shifts away from passenger vehicles, the Model S endures as the car that pushed EVs into the mainstream and permanently altered the trajectory of the global auto industry. +++
+++ TOYOTA said on Thursday its global vehicle sales in January rose 4.7 percent from a year earlier to 822.577 units, a record for the month, driven by firm demand for its hybrid vehicles in North America despite headwinds from U.S. tariff policies. The world’s largest carmaker by volume also recorded a record-high 699.512 sales abroad for the month, up 6.1 percent, boosted by strong appetites for the Corolla and Camry sedans in North American markets, which saw sales climb 7.5 percent to 205.582 units. Sales in Europe increased 11.5 percent to 104.727 units, while demand for the Corolla Cross lifted sales in China by 6.6 percent to 145.464 units. Japan saw a decline of 2.7 percent to 123.065 units. Global sales for Toyota’s hybrid vehicles in the month increased to 365.499 units, up 6.0 percent. Those for electric vehicles as a whole rose 8.3 percent to 414.386 units. Toyota’s global production fell by 6.0 percent to 735.097 vehicles, dropping below the previous year’s figure for the third consecutive month while the car manufacturer prepares new models. In North America, production fell by 24.8 percent to 134.351 units due to a model changeover of its RAV4, while in Japan it fell by 6.1 percent to 249.827 units due to fewer working days. +++