+++ After almost 40 years of capturing the imagination of BMW fans worldwide with its eye-catching bodykits and motorsport-based tuning, AC SCHNITZER will close down at the end of 2026. In a statement, its parent the Kohl Group claimed AC Schnitzer (also known as ACS) was “no longer economically viable to operate”. Explaining its decision to part ways, Rainer Vogel, managing director of the Kohl Group, which has been connected to AC Schnitzer since it started in 1987, said; “Steadily rising costs in the development and manufacture of parts are creating competitive disadvantages. In particular the extremely long approval process for parts in the German system has caused AC Schnitzer to fall behind its non-German competitors”. Over the years, AC Schnitzer competed in touring car races and rallies while also becoming known for tuning kits for various BMW production cars. The firm branched out into modifying Mini cars, and even supplying aftermarket parts for the latest Toyota Supra, which is closely related to the BMW Z4. AC Schnitzer’s involvement in racing under Schnitzer Motorsport ended in 2021. Offering further explanation as to why AC Schnitzer has struggled in recent years, Vogel rather candidly said: “We, like other tuning companies, have not succeeded in inspiring young customers to enjoy sporty driving with our brand to the same extent as their fathers’ generation did”. The Kohl Group also, in effect, blamed the rise of pure-electric models and the lack of combustion-engined cars to tune as well. “On the demand side, changing consumer behavior and the gradual phase-out of the internal combustion engine further exacerbate the situation”. Another contributing factor was “tariffs in the key U.S. market” according to the company’s statement. Now AC Schnitzer will be offered up for sale by the Kohl Group, which says it “is in talks with parties interested in acquiring the AC Schnitzer brand”. For existing AC Schnitzer customers, warranties and after-sales support will be guaranteed beyond 2026. +++
+++ The popular AUDI Q4 E-TRON has been spotted testing in its updated form yet again, this time revealing more details of its simplified exterior design and technology. The electric SUV (and its sportier Sportback sibling) first went on sale in 2022. Yet such is the speed of development in this segment, the Q4 is already looking and feeling its age; something Audi now hopes to address. Key changes outside include sleeker bumpers, plus new sills and wheels, which will align more closely to the design language being introduced for future models. The fundamental body shape won’t change, but the plastic sections at the base of the doors, plus the lower bumpers at the rear, look much simpler than before. The shape of the lights looks to be the same as on the current model, but this prototype does reveal new internal elements inside the rear units, with high-end OLED panels visible, as we’ve seen across other Audi SUV models. New headlight functionality is also expected. This includes the option of Audi’s clever Digital headlights, which (compared to the previous Matrix units) are a step up in terms of functionality. These changes will be applied to both the SUV and Sportback body styles, but it’s the updates inside that could be more substantial. For a start, the interior will feature the same huge dual-screen display as in Audi’s latest models. This will likely incorporate a 14.5-inch touchscreen and a smaller 10-inch driver’s display screen in the one curved housing. The system will also integrate all of the car’s major functions, including the climate controls, which were previously on a separate bank of switches. This new set-up replaces the ageing 11.6-inch display of the current generation, and has required a redesign of the entire dashboard and centre console. It also gives Audi the chance to right some of the quality deficiencies of the existing model. We don’t yet know whether there are updates to the powertrain or chassis, but the Q4 e-Tron has been continually updated with small upgrades to the battery’s efficiency, and therefore its range. As it stands, there are 2 motor options, with single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive layouts, with 2 battery sizes. By contrast, Volkswagen has a new 79 kWh option for its ID.3 and ID.4, which could form a basis of a new flagship powertrain option for the Q4 e-Tron. Expect to see the new model in the next few months. +++
+++ BMW will build the next all-electric 5 Series, or i5, on a bespoke all-electric architecture, just like it’s done with the new i3. This represents a change of strategy compared to the current model, which sees both electric and combustion 5 Series models sharing their underlying ‘CLAR’ platform and body. And it should result in considerable improvements in terms of range, efficiency and practicality when the all-new i5 arrives in 3 to 4 years’ time. The news was confirmed by BMW’s board member for research and development, Joachim Post, who told that future models will adopt the same split personality under the skin as the new 3 Series. Post said: “When we as BMW develop a new technology, we’re making 2.5 million cars a year in a lot of derivatives. What is always important for us is to scale. We are a global player, and we must scale our technology into the whole fleet to get that economy of scale. That gives you a feeling that once we do things, we don’t do it for just one car”. This suggests that the i3’s innovative platform will spread upwards to other models, such as the new i5. Despite looking similar, the new all-electric i3 and its future ICE-powered 3 Series cousin have completely different architectures under the skin. This allows each to be optimised for their powertrain; something that is much more difficult to do in a single platform for packaging reasons, as seen on the existing 5 Series. Despite its smaller footprint and lower entry price, the new i3 substantially outperforms the current i5 in terms of range, by nearly 320 km in some cases. This discrepancy in range will no doubt be addressed in the current i5’s forthcoming mid-life update. However, while it will switch its battery cells and electronic components for ones developed from BMW’s Neue Klasse programme, it’s unlikely to be able to make up for the additional benefits in packaging and ultimate efficiency delivered by the i3’s bespoke chassis. The current 5 Series has not been around for long in its current G20 generation, but BMW is rapidly implementing lots of its Neue Klasse technology, with a substantial update due in 2027. This will include fresh exterior styling, a new interior and the aforementioned upgrades to its battery and electric motors. However, with more than half a traditional life-cycle still to go until a whole new generation of i5 arrives, it’s likely to be quite a wait before we see the full benefits of BMW’s new bespoke EV platform in action. +++
+++ The FIAT 600 lineup is expanding to include a new entry-level option with petrol power. It joins the existing hybrid and electric versions, and is being celebrated with a new special edition. Known as the 600 Petrol, the 5-door hatchback was designed for “customers who enjoy a simple, direct and engaging driving experience”. The company was coy on specifics, but confirmed the model has an engine with a variable-geometry turbocharger, a silent timing chain, and a high‑pressure direct injection system. It produces 100 hp and is connected to a 6-speed manual transmission. This sounds like the same powertrain as available in the Grande Panda, which implies a turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder and a glacial 0-100 kph time. The new petrol engine will be offered on all trims, which means we can expect an entry-level 600 Petrol Pop with led lighting units and 16 inch steelies. The model should also have a relatively basic interior with a 7 inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch infotainment system, and an automatic climate control system. Higher-end variants should offer 17 and 18 inch alloy wheels as well as chrome accents and tinted rear windows. Buyers can also expect to find ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, a wireless smartphone charger and optional leather seats. To celebrate the car’s launch, Fiat has created a special Street Edition. It features a 2-tone exterior with a gloss black grille, black door handles, and black badging. The model also has black 18-inch alloy wheels as well as ‘Street’ lettering in red and chrome. The dark theme continues inside with a black dashboard and headliner. They’re joined by black seats with ‘Fiat’ lettering as well as white contrast stitching and 600 badging. Production will be limited to 2.000 units, but there’s no word on pricing at this point. +++
+++ JLR creative chief Gerry McGovern will officially leave the company at the end of March. In December, news came that he was asked to step down after more than 2 decades working on the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Last Friday, employees were told McGovern was leaving to establish his own creative consultancy. Further information regarding his new consultancy isn’t yet known, but details will no doubt be released when he leaves JLR at the end of the month. A quote from McGovern within the memo read: “It has been a great privilege to work at JLR across 2 extraordinary decades, and I would like to thank the Tata family in particular for the opportunities they gave me. “The dedication and passion of thousands of people across the business have made these brands what they are today, and I am enormously proud of what we have built together. I look forward to the next chapter of my creative career”. JLR boss PB Balaji, who took over from Adrian Mardell at the end of last year, added: “Gerry’s creative leadership, vision, drive and passion have left an indelible stamp on our brands. I would like to thank Gerry for the significant contribution he has made to JLR and wish him every success in his next creative chapter”. McGovern was considered a hugely influential figure on the JLR board and was a favourite of the late Ratan Tata, former chairman of the wider Tata Group. The Coventry-born designer has played a crucial role in JLR’s recent history, including the 2021 Reimagine strategy. Contributions include the reinvention of the Land Rover Defender, maintaining the popularity of the Range Rover line-up and overseeing the design of the Type 00 Concept as part of Jaguar’s transition to an electric-only luxury car maker. +++
+++ NISSAN said Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin would step down for personal reasons, with the struggling Japanese carmaker appointing a long-serving executive to replace him. George Leondis will succeed Papin as finance chief from April 1, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Papin will remain with Nissan through mid-May to shepherd the carmaker through the end of the fiscal year. Papin became CFO in 2025 in the run-up to a leadership shuffle that coincided with the beginning of the carmaker’s push to slash costs and rescue itself from its worst crisis in almost 3 decades. Most recently Nissan narrowed its operating-loss forecast and touted progress in its cost-cutting drive. Leondis joined Nissan in 2004 as head of finance for Australia. Since 2024 he’s been in Japan, where he’s led global product and industrial operations, as well as partnership financing and mergers and acquisitions. He takes the role at a critical time for Nissan. While the carmaker’s brighter outlook has given Chief Executive Officer Ivan Espinosa a degree of breathing room, pressure is mounting on the company to refresh an aging lineup in order to reignite demand. Last month, Nissan forecast a ¥60 billion ($380 million) operating loss for the fiscal year ending March, better than its previous estimate for ¥275 billion. The carmaker expects to report a full-year net loss of ¥650 billion, as well as net sales of ¥11.9 trillion. While Espinosa pushes on with a restructuring that will see Nissan cut 20.000 jobs and shutter 7 factories, Nissan still faces major headwinds. That includes increasingly cutthroat competition in China as well as uncertain U.S. trade policies, chip-supply risks and tumultuous moves in energy markets due to the Iran war. +++
+++ SMART may be best known for its pint-sized 2-door hatchbacks, but its line-up has been expanding to include SUVs and coupe-style crossovers. Now it is pushing further upmarket with something entirely different. The Geely and Mercedes-backed brand has unveiled its first fastback, pairing an aerodynamic silhouette with what it describes as, “shark-inspired” styling cues. Following its earlier appearance in regulatory filings, Smart has now released a fresh batch of images of the #6. Mercedes was responsible for the exterior, and Smart says the whole thing takes its cues from marine predators. At the front, the hood integrates functional air channels that Smart has branded “Bionic Shark-Gills”. Around the rear, a 4-stage adjustable spoiler is said to echo the movement of a shark’s tail, or so the company claims, so take that with a pinch of seal salt. Other details include tightly drawn body surfacing along the profile, aggressive led headlights linked by a central grille element and full-width led taillights set within a sculpted rear panel.
At 4.906 mm long, the #6 sits in executive sedan territory, being closer to a Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5-Series than anything Smart used to build. The 2.926 mm wheelbase is the longest the brand has put into production, which should pay dividends for cabin space. The interior has yet to be revealed, but spy shots suggest it will feature a tall center tunnel and a large infotainment display with the latest tech, similar to the Smart #5. The Smart #6 sits on Geely’s PMA2+ architecture, a further development of the widely used SEA platform that also underpins models like the Zeekr 007 and its GT counterpart. It will debut as a plug-in hybrid, with fully electric versions set to follow, including a range-topping Brabus variant. The EHD, short for Extended Hybrid Drive, uses Geely’s NordThor 2.0 system. It pairs a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with a front-mounted electric motor, delivering a combined 435 hp. The headline figure is range, with a claimed 1.400 km on the WLTP cycle, including up to 220 km in electric-only driving. The Smart #6 EHD is scheduled to launch in China in the coming months, ahead of a global rollout. Pricing will be announced at a later date. +++
+++ At a BYD car dealership in Manilla’s financial district, demand for the Chinese company’s electric vehicles is so high that Matthew Dominique Poh said he’s seen a month’s worth of orders in just the past 2 weeks.
“Clients are replacing conventional cars in favour of EVs because of the oil price hikes,” said Poh, who’s been a salesperson at the dealership for the past 7 months. About 1.800 kilometers away in Hanoi, Nguyen Hoang Tu Anh said his VinFast showrooms had to hire more sales staff after customer visits quadrupled, resulting in the sale of 250 EVs in the three weeks since the Iran war started. That works out to more than 80 a week, or double the average rate in 2025. ” SWITCHING TO AN EV will help us significantly save money”, said Lai The Manh Linh, a 41-year-old employee at a telecom company, who traded a petrol-powered Toyota Vios subcompact car for a new, all-electric VinFast 5 compact crossover for his 60-to-70-kilometer daily commute to work. Though automakers have yet to report their sales figures for March, the first full month since the Persian Gulf conflict began, early signs point to Asian EV makers such as China’s BYD and Vietnam’s VinFast benefiting from the resulting surge in crude oil prices. The pinch from higher pump prices is particularly acute in the Pacific region, where about 80% of the crude passing through the Strait of Hormuz typically ended up before that route was effectively shut down by the conflict. “Higher oil prices always help the transition to electric vehicles”, said Albert Park, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank. “It creates economic incentives to accelerate the green transition”. Global adoption of EVs helped avoid the consumption of the equivalent of 2.3 million barrels of oil a day last year. But sustaining this spike in consumer interest in EVs will require the industry to make massive infrastructure investments to bridge the current shortfall in charging stations, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Joanna Chen. “Affordability and charging have always been the two biggest factors hindering EV adoption”, she said, adding that the total cost of ownership may even out as oil prices rise. “Outside of China, the upfront price of EVs are still generally more expensive than gasoline cars”. Even before the Iran war’s oil shock, EV penetration rates had been rising across Asia, with a few notable exceptions, such as Japan. In China, EVs and plug-in hybrids account for more than half of all auto sales, thanks to the government’s push to promote the growth of a home-grown, alternative-energy-based industry. Southeast Asian countries have EV adoption rates of around 40%, exceeding levels in Europe, and making them among the most electric-friendly in the world, according to think tank Ember. “We were previously less upbeat about EV demand in 2026, as the government’s lower subsidy made EV prices less attractive compared with conventional fuel-powered vehicles”, said Surapong Paisitpatnapong, spokesperson for the Federation of Thai Industries’ automobile industry group. “If oil prices stay at current levels or rise further, we expect a significant increase in EV demand”. In landlocked Laos, the government is reacting to the surge in oil prices by slashing EV registration and service fees by 30%, and raising them by an equivalent amount for gas-powered cars, as part of emergency measures, according to a statement from the Laotian prime minister’s office. China is set to reap most of the gains from a surge in EV demand as the world’s top producer of electric vehicles. Overseas shipments of electric cars and plug-in gas-electric hybrids in the first two months of this year (before the war began) had already more than doubled from a year ago, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Non-Chinese brands such as Hyundai, Nissan and Tesla are also well-positioned for an uptick in Asia’s EV demand. But many legacy automakers aren’t, having been late to market with all-electric models and then quickly rolling back plans. General Motors, Honda and Ford are among those that have dialled down their EV ambitions, due in part to a shift in U.S. policy under president Donald Trump that has stripped EVs of subsidies and other government support. Across the Asia Pacific region, reports of fuel-purchase limits and long queues at gas stations have helped bolster views about EVs. Echoing scenes in Manilla and elsewhere, demand for BYD’s lineup in New Zealand has also risen sharply. The number of fully electric and hybrid vehicles sold on March 14 was quadruple the usual amount for a Saturday, general manager Warren Wilmot said on a radio program. The price of gasoline in New Zealand has soared 20% since the start of March to hit 3 New Zealand dollars ($1.75) a liter, just 6 cents shy of levels last seen when prices spiked due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by RadioNZ. Meanwhile, in Nakhon Ratchasima province northeast of Bangkok, Jaruaypornphatra Leesomsiri’s 3 showrooms that sell MG vehicles, a brand now owned by China’s SAIC Motor, have seen at least a 20% increase in EV sales since the start of the Iran conflict. Jaruaypornphatra said customers are willing to take any EV in inventory and are requesting faster delivery to shield themselves from expensive fuel, notwithstanding government subsidies that partly offset the cost. “Our main challenge now is securing enough EV supply to meet the growing waiting list,” he said. +++
+++ Nissan is making final arrangements for collaboration with major U.S. car dispatch service company UBER Technologies in the field of autonomous driving. Nissan will supply autonomous vehicles, aiming to provide unmanned ride-hailing services domestically and internationally within a few years. The company is expected to provide vehicles based on its Leaf electric model. In December, Nissan signed a collaboration agreement with British startup Wayve Technologies to mass-produce autonomous vehicles featuring artificial intelligence software. They are jointly developing vehicles that can drive to destinations in an autonomous mode with drivers not touching the steering wheel. Nissan, which is undergoing management restructuring, aims to strengthen collaborations in the field of autonomous driving, its focus area, to improve the firm’s earnings. Competition in autonomous ride-hailing services is intensifying, with Tesla for instance, launching a trial service in Texas last year. In Japan, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has set a target for the number of taxis and trucks capable of Level 4 automated driving, a stage at which the system conducts all driving operations under specific conditions, at 10.000 or more by fiscal 2030. +++