+++ BMW will reveal the first new-era ALPINA model at the upcoming Concorso d’Elezgana at Villa d’Este. The reimagined German brand will “present itself directly to the public for the first time” at the show, opening on 15 May. The first new Alpinas since the brand transferred out of the hands of its founding family, the Bovensiepens, will be based on the X7 and 7 Series. In its previous iteration as an independent tuner, Alpina’s line-up was capped by versions of the 7 Series and X7. The 7 Series and X7 will both be heavily overhauled later this year, in line with BMW’s strategy of rolling out its Neue Klasse design and technology elements to all model lines. The first new-era Alpinas will follow thereafter. Asked if this meant Alpina would also offer EVs, given that the 7 Series offers both ICE and electric power, BMW Group R&D chief Joachim Post said “we are technology-open”. Further details of the new cars, and the brand strategy in general, remain under wraps, but Post said they will be designed and configured with the same philosophy in mind as before. “Alpina will talk not about sport but speed, comfort and luxury”, he said. Despite now being in-house, Alpina will not overlap with the M division but rather operate as “an exclusive standalone brand” with its own distinct attributes. Post said: “Alpina is completely different from a level which other people like from M, which is the performance. That fits very well in the BMW brand. You have the very sporty side of M (born on the race track, made for the road) and the other, which is speed, luxury, comfort on the way and also individualisation”. This is also the case with design, M design boss Oliver Heilmer told. “We wondered in the beginning if there is anything that might overlap”, he explained. “We were looking into the energy based on the past and then looking into the M projects and what they’re standing for, and they are so different in their work. Alpina, as you know it now, is more like having something mature, whereas M is always purpose-driven in terms of the best performance”. BMW previously said that Alpina would offer a “remarkable portfolio” of bespoke options, with a focus on high-quality materials and craftsmanship. It added that would make each Alpina car “an exclusive object for connoisseurs in pursuit of the extraordinary, without compromises on performance, comfort and individuality”. +++
+++ The CHEVROLET CORVETTE lineage has had some great names to accompany it over the years. There’s the Stingray, the Z06, the ZR1 and since the second-generation C2, the Grand Sport, which has now returned on the latest C8 Corvette model. Corvette fans will instantly recognise the colour scheme of blue body paint with white stripes and red accents, but what’s most important with the new Grand Sport is its engine: a 6.7 litre V8 with 544 hp and 705 Nm, more torque than any other naturally-aspirated Vette to date. The new engine acts as a replacement for the old 504 hp 6.2-litre V8 and will make its way on to the standard Corvette Stingray model, too. To achieve the extra power, alongside the greater displacement there are forged pistons and rods, a wider throttle body, a revised compression ratio and a new intake. The centrally placed quad-exhaust tips look like the ZR1’s, and will surely provide a fitting soundtrack to the Grand Sport. Power is sent through the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission as before, although I suspect the Stingray’s 0-100 kph of 3.5 seconds has been lowered a bit.
Not only has the Corvette gained a Grand Sport variant, but there’s also the new Grand Sport X. This gets the same 163 hp electrified front axle as the new hybrid E-Ray, meaning it also gains all-wheel drive. Instead of the Corvette E-Ray’s 6.2-litre V8, the Grand Sport X has the new 6.7-litre unit, meaning power is upped from the former’s 645 hp to a whopping 733 hp. The Grand Sport also gets the fourth generation of the Corvette’s Magnetic Ride adaptive suspension, which adjusts firmness every 10 to 15 milliseconds based on road conditions. If you want to up the ante even more, the Grand Sport also comes with the optional Z52 Sport Performance Package, which replaces Michelin summer tyres with track-focused Pilot Sport 4S tyres along with brakes from the Z06. A Z52 Track Performance package adds carbon-ceramic brakes, Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyres, that quad-exit central exhaust and a carbon fibre aero package (a rear wing, aero flicks and a front splitter). Further visual tweaks that come as standard include Grand Sport badging, plus a plaque for early Launch Edition models. Both versions get 10-spoke forged aluminium wheels with the fronts measuring 20 inches and the rears 21 inches. There’s also an exclusive interior colourway for both: a very bold and bright Santorini Blue with embossed Corvettes in the headrests. Corvette confirmed the E-Ray would join the line-up last year and while there’s no pricing announced yet for either Grand Sport model, I expect them to command a premium over the Stingray and E-Ray siblings … if they make their way to the Netherlands. +++
+++ The first car to come from Chinese giant Chery’s new FREELANDER brand has surfaced ahead of its unveiling on 31 March. The Chinese company (which sells cars in Europe under its Jaecoo and Omoda brands) is reviving the Freelander name in collaboration with JLR for a new line of electrified crossovers.
Images of the new model following a crash test have now been published. Although the vehicles pictured are heavily damaged, they clearly draw on the original Land Rover Freelander, with blocky proportions and squared-off lights front and rear. Indeed, the front lighting graphic matches the distinctive design released by Chery earlier this week.
While Freelanders will at first be sold only in the Chinese market, there is “potential for global expansion”, JLR China president Qing Pan said previously. Chery is developing the electrified model range using an in-house-developed “flexible” platform, Pan said. This is Chery’s T1X platform, which underpins various cars from its other brands, such as the Jaecoo 7.
The first new Freelander is set to be a plug-in hybrid. It will “echo the original spirit of Freelander but be brought up to date to appeal to discerning, technologically savvy Chinese consumers”, Pan said. The new Freelander will give Chery JLR’s factory a replacement for the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, production of which will end this year. It will sit in different market segment from JLR’s imported high-end models in China, such as the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Defender.
JLR has said the new Freelander will be sold in a network of its own dedicated, Chery-run dealerships. Freelander doesn’t come under JLR’s luxury-focused ‘House of Brands’ marketing and sales strategy, which effectively splits Jaguar, Defender, Discovery and Range Rover into stand-alone model lines. In Europe, a Chinese-built Freelander could cannibalise sales of the cheaper models based on JLR’s new EMA EV platform, such as the upcoming Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Defender Sport. That would make the business case for selling Freelanders in those markets harder to justify.
The original Freelander was launched in 1997 in 3-door and 5-door forms. It was the first Land Rover with a monocoque platform and “pioneered the compact premium SUV”, said Pan. It lasted for 2 generations before being replaced by the Discovery Sport in 2015. +++
+++ China’s LEAPMOTOR will roll out rivals for the Volkswagen Golf, T-Cross and ID.Polo, as it pushes into Europe’s hatchback heartland in the next 12 months. The budget importer, a sister brand to Peugeot, Citroën and other Stellantis group operations, plans to grow from 60,000 European sales to more than 100.000 in 2026, as it doubles its two-EV line-up with a pair of new models and a range-extender hybrid powertrain. “We will introduce 3 new products by the middle of the year”, Leapmotor International CEO Tianshu Xin told in an exclusive interview. The B10 is also set for European production. Leapmotor briefly assembled the T03 city car at a Stellantis plant in Poland, but the Chinese government blocked the initiative in retaliation for Poland voting in favour of additional EU tariffs on Chinese cars. Spain, however, abstained from the vote, which looks set to win it a more permanent residency for the mid-sized SUV. “Stellantis has manufacturing plants in more than 30 countries around the world. We will localise the B10 in one of our plants in Spain”, said the boss. “We believe there’s a huge opportunity for us to localise that model in Europe”. An official Stellantis statement confirmed that the initiative is under consideration, assuming investment conditions are met. Industrialising the B10, currently Leapmotor’s best-selling car, makes sense, but could more follow? “If things go well and we have good opportunities, and we can increase scale by localising, and it makes business sense”, explained Xin. One car ticking a few of Xin’s boxes is the B10’s sister car, the B05. It’s a C-segment hatchback to take on the Golf, previewed at the 2025 Munich Motor Show. Measuring 4.430mm, the B05 is longer than the VW, with its electric architecture also boosting interior space. Sharing its platform and 67 kWh battery gives the B05 a circa 420 km range. The B05 could conceivably be offered with range-extender tech, but nothing has been confirmed.
The final piece is Leapmotor’s first-half-year new model rush is the B03X. It’s a 4-metre-long pure-electric crossover, given SUV vibes courtesy of plastic body protection and a raised ride height. Its supermini sister car, the B03, is scheduled to arrive by spring 2027, to take on VW’s ID.Polo. Leapmotor International only launched in Europe in September 2024, but passed the 800 retailers and service points in just over a year. The UK is now up to 73 outlets and is gunning for 100 by the end of 2026. Leapmotor’s no-holds-barred new model offensive has helped convince investors to sign up, reckoned the boss. “By being part of the Stellantis family, they don’t need to worry that Leapmotor is going to disappear tomorrow, we’re here for the long run”, Xin said. “That’s number one for trust and credibility”. He continued: “I will have full coverage on all the segments, A, B, C and D. And if you look at the B and C-segments, these really are the core segments for the European market and have significant volume opportunities. With this strong product portfolio, we believe we’re able to support our continuous expansion in Europe”. Leapmotor International differs from BYD and Chery by being a joint venture, co-funded by 1.5 billion Euros of Stellantis cash for a 51 per cent stake. Xin himself is a Stellantis stalwart, having worked for both PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat-Chrysler. “Every single unit we sell and every single Euro we make, we are fully consolidated into the Stellantis book. I always say to my team: ‘we are a start-up with 2 good parents. The Chinese parent provides innovative technologies and products at competitive cost. And Stellantis is able to give me a strong, powerful European network’ ”, he said. Leapmotor is able to tap its European parent for administrative functions such as customer management and and IT software, parts warehousing and logistics. Xin is confident parts can be with service centres within a day or two to minimise vehicle downtime. With Leapmotor poised to tap into Stellantis’s European production network, could it also use its platforms? “It would bring more scale”, said the boss, although he counseled that the cars must be strongly differentiated. And with Leapmotor reliant on EV and hybrid power, could it broaden its powertrain offer with access to staples such as Stellantis’s troublesome 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo engine? “If it’s possible, if it’s needed”, Xin explained politely. “That’s one of the beauties of this deal. What you mention is one of the potential opportunities to be explored with Stellantis”. This would give Leapmotor the chance to attack the non-EV market, because its small cars are currently only engineered for electric power, and REx powertrains are reserved for bigger cars. “For instance, REx will come in bigger cars, because you need space for an engine and big batteries, and you drive longer distances. So B10 and C10 both have hybrid technology plus pure BEV. For the other vehicles we are focusing on pure BEV technologies, but it doesn’t rule out in the future that we will introduce other alternative powertrains into those cars as well, depending on how fast this energy transition is going to happen outside of China”. Even with just the 2 powertrains, Xin believes his brand is set for decent growth. “For most of 2025, we had only 2 models, but we managed to register more than 35.000 units, with actual sales topping 60.000. And Leapmotor globally has announced a 1 million volume target for 2026. My objective is Europe should contribute more than 10 percent of that volume”. +++
+++ SKODA ’s spectacular downfall in China needs to be studied. For many years, it was the company’s largest market, but sales began to slip toward the end of the last decade. Amid fierce competition driven by the meteoric rise of local automakers, the Volkswagen Group is pulling its Czech brand out of the world’s biggest car market. Local sales will end by the middle of the year. The sales figures over the past few years paint a grim picture of Skoda’s decline in China. Demand peaked in 2018, when 341.000 cars were delivered to customers. In 2025, deliveries plunged to only 15.000 units. That’s nearly a 96% drop in seven years, underscoring how traditional brands are struggling. Even though it has been on a slippery slope in China this decade, Skoda has managed to offset those massive losses by growing in other parts of the world. In 2025, it became the third best-selling car brand in Europe for the first time. Demand in India reached record levels, while the brand also gained momentum in North Africa and Turkey. Globally, Skoda grew by 12.7 percent last year, reaching 1.043.900 units; its best result in six years. It is preparing to launch a new entry-level EV, the subcompact Epiq, before introducing the much larger, 7-seat Peaq later in the year. The Vision O concept hinted at a large electric wagon, but it won’t go on sale anytime soon. +++
+++ TOYOTA has been talking about bringing back the Celica for nearly 4 years. It has been dropping hints ever since, whether through its Grip anime series or by filing trademarks to protect its cherished nameplate. Some dealers have apparently already seen the car behind closed doors, but publicly, it remains a no-show. While a mysterious sports coupe was spotted testing in Portugal at the end of last month, Toyota never officially identified it as the next Celica. A new report cites a company insider who claims the performance model is called the “Celica Sport”. Additionally, a spokesperson said the new Gazoo Racing–branded vehicle has four-wheel drive. As for what will power the reborn Celica, all signs point to the new “G20E” engine. It’s a 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline unit for which engineers have set an output target of more than 400 hp. An uncorked version with a larger turbocharger could exceed 600 hp. However, that level of power will likely be reserved for a race car that doesn’t have to meet stringent emissions regulations. For a road-legal version, something in the region of 400 hp seems more realistic. Speaking of complying with tightening legislation, the smaller 1.6-liter engine found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla is, ironically, not a good fit. GR marketing manager Mikio Hayashi told that the “G16E” fails to meet stricter emissions laws: “The displacement size of 1.6 liters, for example, cannot meet emission regulations. So, we have to consider the possibility of a 2.0 liter. Nothing has been decided yet about whether it will be a standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid”. This suggests some form of electrification will be included, lowering CO₂ emissions while boosting total output. Of course, that will add complexity and weight, but hybrids are increasingly necessary to keep performance cars alive. Relevant examples include the BMW M5 and the new Audi RS5, with more electrified performance models likely on the way. In the meantime, Toyota has been testing the new “G20E” engine in a GR Yaris prototype where the 4-cylinder sits behind the seats. However, the eighth-generation Celica is expected to remain front-engined like all its predecessors. The 2.0-liter unit is also likely to power a mid-engined sports car that Toyota has already begun testing in prototype form, although the production model is still 4 to 5 years away. The company has previously said its new performance-oriented engine will support a wide range of applications, potentially becoming the backbone of the GR lineup. It’s easy to imagine it in the next-generation GR86, GR Yaris and GR Corolla, ideally joined by the Celica Sport and a new MR2. Given Toyota’s willingness to talk more openly about the Celica, it will likely be the first to arrive. We may get our first taste when a WRC-spec version debuts, possibly in the coming months ahead of the 2027 season. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN used to offer some of the best interior quality in the mainstream segment before the current generation of vehicles. In 2019, the Golf Mk8 ushered in a simplified cabin with fewer physical controls. That same year, the electric ID.3 pushed things further by eliminating dedicated rear window switches. To make matters worse, the steering wheel buttons became touch-sensitive. Even more frustrating is the dreaded touch slider used to adjust climate settings. Located below the infotainment screen, it wasn’t even illuminated at first, and it took VW several years to add backlighting to make it visible at night. Even the company’s boss isn’t a fan of adjusting the air conditioning and volume with sliders. In an interview, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer admitted that he doesn’t see a reason why any customer would want this user interface: “I don’t understand why anybody would have touch-sensitive sliders”. Actions speak louder than words and the German automaker has already pledged to eliminate this feature and restore real buttons. In the upcoming ID.Polo, there is a dedicated row of physical buttons on the center console, supplemented by a rotary knob further down. Additionally, the steering wheel features traditional buttons without any of that touch nonsense. A closer look at the driver’s door shows 4 window switches and other physical controls VW used for decades before embracing the minimalist wave like other brands. As for why that happened, you’ll rarely hear a company executive say it was due to cost-cutting. That said, we recently heard Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna admit that touch buttons are 50 percent cheaper to make. In VW’s case, the head honcho told that “there was a spirit of iPhone-ish kind of design and utilization”. R&D boss Kai Grünitz approached the subject from a different angle: ‘Every Volkswagen has been made for the board and especially for the CEO. Luckily, Ferdinand Piëch and Martin Winterkorn had a feeling for what the customer wanted’. Reading between the lines, the company’s technical development chief suggested that former CEO Herbert Diess missed the mark regarding customer preferences. The current leadership in Wolfsburg has told development teams that real buttons and proper door handles “are absolutely non-negotiable”, meaning future models will include them. That will extend to next year’s entry-level electric car, previewed in 2025 by the ID.Every1 concept. Meanwhile, the ID.3 and ID.4 are getting facelifts this year, and it’ll be interesting to see whether VW has invested in fixing past mistakes. The company has pledged to reintroduce traditional steering-wheel buttons across all ID models, therefore, gradually reversing decisions made by previous management. Whether the touch sliders will remain on the facelifted models is unclear, though it’s a real possibility, given that the revised Cupra Born still has them. Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume they’ll be phased out in the next generation of vehicles. +++