+++ You know that time flies when it’s already been 2 years since AUDI built the final R8. Although Ingolstadt has since approved production of a new performance vehicle, the fully electric Concept C won’t be a true replacement when it arrives next year. Looking further ahead, a proper successor could still happen, but only under certain circumstances. Audi Sport’s managing director spoke about how the stars would need to align for the R8 to return one day. For starters, another flagship performance model would have to be a plug-in hybrid to comply with increasingly strict emissions regulations. He explained that developing a new combustion engine from scratch to meet those rules isn’t feasible given the low-volume nature of supercars. While the idea of an electrified R8 might upset purists accustomed to having a naturally aspirated V8 or V10 behind the seats, Michl claims people are becoming more open to hybrid supercars. His thinking is that you still get the thrills of an ICE powertrain while gaining the added benefits of EVs, such as a purely electric driving mode. Audi Sport has already dipped its toes into the performance plug-in hybrid niche with the recently revealed RS5. At the same time, the forthcoming RS6 is also expected to combine a gas engine with an electric motor. Powertrain choice aside, another R8 would also have to sustain itself financially: “In really challenging times, and we’ve talked about regulations, and very cost-intensive developments, every car has to be a business case. It wouldn’t make sense just to calculate, let me say, a brand-levering effect … you really have to see that intense spending has a valid chance to realize the specific earnings”. Reading between the lines, it’s unrealistic to expect Audi to go it alone if it were to bring back the R8 one day. A safer bet would be another collaboration with Lamborghini, much like during the Gallardo and Huracan eras. Those cars have since been replaced by the Temerario, which may no longer feature a screaming NA V10, but whose twin-turbo V8 still screams all the way to 10.000 rpm. +++
+++ JLR is priming a second major update for the DEFENDER , with a new prototype hinting at a series of design tweaks plus a fresh four-seat interior configuration. A prototype has been caught testing with alterations including new front and rear bumpers and daytime running lights, plus the addition of a small lip spoiler on its roof. Inside, it looks to swap the 3-seat rear bench for the 2 individual ‘captain’s chairs’ that were previously exclusive to the stretched Defender 130. The Defender’s previous refresh, revealed in May last year, brought a revised headlight design with a smaller projector section, plus an array of new safety systems mandated by the EU’s GSR2 legislation. The new revisions are likely hoped to improve the Defender’s competitiveness against an onslaught of fresh rivals, such as the forthcoming BMW X5 and updated Mercedes-Benz GLE, plus Chinese newcomers including the Denza B5. JLR has enjoyed significant success with the Defender, which is its best-selling model. During the first 3 quarters of the firm’s 2025-26 financial year, it sold 107.132 Defenders, compared with 110.296 by the same point in the year prior. It’s notable that the year-on-year dip in sales measured only 2.9%, despite the cyber attack that hampered JLR’s ability to build and register new cars between September and October 2025. For reference, JLR sold 66.993 examples of the Range Rover during the same period in 2025-26 and 74.059 Range Rover Sports. +++
+++ HYUNDAI ’s sharp-edged, China-only Ioniq V unveiled in Beijing last month looks so different from the Ioniqs we get in the West that it’s only natural that we’re fascinated to find out more about it. And now, thanks to some homologation paperwork logged with Chinese authorities, a few more details have come to light. The most obvious new bit of information concerns the powertrains. MIIT filings show the Ioniq V will launch with a choice of 2 single-motor configurations producing either 190 hp or 228 hp. The punchier of those motors is familiar from our own Ioniq 5, but you won’t find the lower-tune version in an European Ioniq 5. Range extender hybrid and dual-motor versions should follow, according to Hyundai’s plan, and though there’s no mention of a truly hot version, an N makeover could give this EV Lamborghini Temerario-style pace to match its me-too design. For now, supercar speeds are definitely not on the agenda. A listed top whack of 165 km/h isn’t going to set any records, but the 800 volt charging architecture should at least mean the CATL lithium iron phosphate battery packs can fill rapidly. We still don’t know battery sizes, but the bigger of the 2 available packs claims more than 480 km.
The Ioniq V measures 4.900 mm long and rides on a 2.900 mm wheelbase, giving it dimensions similar to the Ioniq 6 we can buy in the West. But visually, this thing heads in a very different direction. The low-slung body combines a coupe-like roofline with chunky surfacing, split headlights, frameless doors, and dramatic V-shaped wheels. Hopefully, the badly misaligned liftgate seen in the rear shot of the white car isn’t representative of production models. That’s certainly fixable, though it’s probably too late to do anything about the weird shelving system that passes for a rear diffuser. The cabin looks rather better. Hyundai’s China team developed the car around a huge 27 inch ultra-thin 4K display paired with a Cyber Eye head-up display and ambient lighting inspired by nebula imagery. The system also integrates Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8295 cockpit chip together with AI features powered by Baidu and Volcano Engine technologies. Another major addition is Momenta-assisted Level 2-plus driving capability, something rapidly becoming essential for competing in China’s brutally competitive EV market. Unfortunately for European buyers, the Ioniq V is almost certainly staying overseas. Hyundai developed it specifically for China under its new “global quality plus Chinese wisdom” strategy. That plan will see 20 new Hyundais of different powertrain types being unleashed in China over the next 5 years as the brand tries to shore up flagging sales. +++
+++ Even though KIA ’s line-up has expanded in recent years with a myriad of models, a true Stinger successor is still nowhere to be seen. However, a sports sedan is in the works, minus the combustion engine. The company’s design boss has revealed that a production version of last year’s Vision Meta Turismo is in development and will serve as a “sports sedan for the gamer generation”.
Karim Habib said Kia wants to explore segments beyond SUVs, and a sedan would fit the bill. Interestingly, a fastback version is apparently “90-percent production-ready”, meaning it too has a real shot at reaching production one day. Neither model will have an engine, as Kia believes younger buyers aren’t as interested in ICE vehicles as older generations, according to the company’s head of interior design. On the same note, Jochen Päsen reckons younger buyers also don’t care much for EVs with artificial engine noises, adding that the same applies to simulated gear shifts. These characteristics are gaining traction among other automakers, including sister brand Hyundai, with the Ioniq 6 N. Even without artificial elements meant to replicate the experience of an ICE car, Kia is confident it can forge an emotional connection between drivers and EVs. The concept foreshadows a Stinger-like GT developed from the ground up as a performance vehicle. But Habib admitted that the vehicle’s nature is “slowing us down” in terms of the pace of development due to high costs. Rather than being a sporty version of an existing model, the production-ready Vision Meta Turismo will be a dedicated performance EV. “We have a small history of doing cars like the Stinger and that’s something we don’t want to give up on. The Vision Meta Turismo is our idea of a sports sedan for the gamer generation”. When the concept made its first public appearance last month during Milan Design Week, Kia didn’t go into technical specifications, but it did make some bold claims. The company promised “a more dynamic, engaging, and visceral driving experience” in an edgy sedan with a lounge-like interior. Since Kia isn’t providing a firm timeline for the car’s launch, the sporty electric sedan is unlikely to go on sale within the next couple of years. +++
+++ MASERATI sales have fallen off a cliff, but the brand is hoping to receive a boost from its facelifted lineup. Spy photographers have already caught the upcoming models on a handful of occasions, but now the automaker has released official photos of the freshened GranTurismo, GranCabrio and Grecale. The trident brand didn’t say much about them, but noted testing in the Modena area offers a mix of city streets, hilly roads, and high-speed motorways. They added the drives are “aimed at collecting essential data and information to ensure the optimal final fine-tuning of the vehicles”. While the official photos are a blurry mess, they suggest the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will adopt a more aggressive front fascia with a larger grille and revised air intakes. Additional changes are limited, but we can expect a new rear bumper as well as smaller tweaks. Given the relatively low-key makeover, it remains unclear how extensive interior updates will be. That being said, the current model still feels fresh and sports a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment system and a lower 8.8-inch climate display. Performance specifications are also a mystery, but the cars currently offer a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with outputs of 490 hp and 599 Nm, as well as 550 hp and 649 Nm. Customers can also get fully electric versions, which produce 761 hp and 1.348 Nm of torque. This enables the GranTurismo Folgore to rocket from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 325 km/h. The changes to the Grecale appear similarly minor as we can expect a new front bumper and revised air intakes. However, on the crossover, the grille appears to carryover. While the side skirts are camouflaged, they weren’t on earlier prototypes and appear to echo those found on the current Grecale Trofeo. That being said, it looks like designers did install a new rear bumper and diffuser. I also wouldn’t be surprised to find restyled wheels and other minor changes. Spy photographers have already snapped an interior image and it suggests the only change could be to the crossover’s dashboard-mounted digital clock. Under the hood, we can expect a familiar twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. It currently offers outputs of 390hp and 498 Nm, as well as 530 hp and 619 Nm. Maserati also offers an electric version developing 550 hp and 818 Nm of torque. +++
+ A new generation of the SKODA KAROQ is coming, and could be here by 2028. Development is now under way and moving very fast, supposedly at the same kind of pace as its Chinese competitors. Rest assured, however, Skoda isn’t trying to rush the new Karoq out the door, because it promises to deliver on all the same values as its other highly regarded models. Specifically, impressive levels of space, an easy-going driving experience with as few annoyances or distractions as possible will feature. The interior will also put sustainability front and centre, plus the Simply Clever ideas the brand is known for and which help set its cars apart from its competitors. Despite approaching a decade on sale, the outgoing Karoq remains one of the company’s most popular models. More than 102.000 examples were sold in 2025 alone. Key rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage have evolved much more in the past few years, and pressure in the vital mid-sized SUV segment is fiercer than ever, mostly due to value-driven newcomers from China, such as the popular Jaecoo 7. So a new model is long overdue; uncertainty around the EU’s forthcoming regulations regarding emissions was the main reason why Skoda held off from giving the all-new second-generation Karoq the green light sooner. But now it’s all systems go. In an interview, Skoda’s head of technical development, Johannes Neft, revealed that the goal is to design, develop and ready this second-generation Karoq for launch in exactly 3 years; at least 12 months less than it would normally take the marque to bring an all-new model to market. “This will be one of the fastest developments we will have in the Volkswagen Group and in the brand”, Neft told me. “The reason for that was it took us some time to make that decision because of the uncertainty of what’s coming up in Europe. But now we have taken the decision and we will do that at ‘China speed’ ”. Neft said the entire VW Group is working on speeding up the development processes in all areas, in common with many European car makers that are now trying to match Chinese manufacturers’ fast and agile way of working. The new Karoq will be one of the first examples of the speed the German goliath’s family of brands is now capable of. What’s enabled Skoda to move so much faster with the new Karoq is that it will be based on an existing platform. “That really helps us and this is also what our Chinese colleagues are doing”, the development boss pointed out. “As soon as you have something existing, you can be much faster. This is what we are doing here and we try to make a lot of synergies with our existing cars as well to be fast, to be competitive”. The MQB Evo platform that’s used by the current Kodiaq and Superb, plus the Volkwagen Golf and T-Roc, Cupra Formentor and numerous other cars, is the obvious solution. Particularly because Neft believes hybridisation is the most important thing the next-generation Karoq needs to have, with the architecture offering plenty of flexibility in that regard. “The MQB Evo platform is still one of the most important platforms of the VW Group for sure, because it’s not only important in Europe, it’s important all around the world”, Neft added. “We are using MQB Evo in the States, in China, everywhere. Therefore this platform, for sure, will be updated as long as it is needed all around the world”. Volkswagen’s first-ever full-hybrid system will debut in the Golf and T-Roc later this year and I’ve been told it’s coming to the Octavia as well. Here, a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is paired with 2 electric motors; one to help drive the wheels, with the other generating energy for a small 1.6 kWh battery under the boot floor. This tech will allow cars to drive on pure-electric power to boost their fuel efficiency, without having to be plugged in. A plug-in hybrid set-up may also be available in the new Karoq, such as the one found in the larger Kodiaq and Superb. This powertrain will also return to the Octavia line-up later this year. The Karoq will not be offered i full-electric form, with this role filled by the Elroq. With Karoq’s launch still some way off, there have been no teaser images and we’re yet to spy any prototypes in testing. So how will it look? It’s not just a Kodiaq with a few feet chopped out of the middle. Skoda’s lead exterior designer Romain Bucaille would balk at such a notion, telling us: “If we repeat everything, you don’t need designers basically. A computer can do it or you just scale it, and then it all looks the same”. The Karoq’s design will be guided more by the Vision O concept seen last year, which represents the next step in the evolution of Skoda’s ‘Modern Solid’ styling philosophy. Some of the elements have been carried over from the futuristic family wagon, including the black loop around the front, the sculpted powerdome bonnet and the razor-sharp daytime running light design. Being petrol-powered, not electric, means the Karoq will need a tweaked interpretation of the Vision O’s Tech-Deck Face, but it should remain true to the general aesthetic of Skoda’s next-generation cars. We first saw it on the Elroq, and it’ll feature on the new Epiq and Peaq SUVs that are being revealed in the coming weeks. As a result, I expect to see the use of a larger grille opening with vertical slats typical of Skoda models integrated into a more streamlined shape. Bucaille told me: “What is important is to have one design language and one family feeling in the showroom when we enter. You don’t want to have the electric cars on one side and the combustion cars on the other side and they look completely different. So we said we will keep some elements to be identified as a Skoda by the customer, whether it’s ICE, whether it’s BEV”. So although the new Karoq is sure to look very different to the outgoing model, it will be immediately recognisable as a Skoda. Bucaille told me: “Our job is interesting because it’s the balance between how to keep the essence of Skoda’s design but how to make it new while still having that link. You don’t want to lose customers because you don’t want to do something completely different and you don’t want to lose them because you are just not evolving”. Meanwhile, the interior will feature big displays running Skoda’s new Android-based infotainment system and, hopefully, physical climate controls like the ones set to appear in the flagship Peaq. In terms of Simply Clever features, all the classics should be present, such as an umbrella hidden in the driver’s door and an ice scraper tucked into the tailgate. But I’m sure the boffins at Skoda will have a few new bright ideas to go with them. The new Karoq is part of the brand’s plan to provide buyers with an equally strong selection of combustion and electric cars. Head of sales and marketing for Skoda, Martin Jahn, told me earlier this year: “We will run combustion-engined cars as long as the customers want them, as long as it’s legally possible and as long as it’s financially viable for us”. By the end of next year, Skoda will also fit the current-generation Fabia and Kamiq with their own mild-hybrid systems, the same as we’ll see in a new Volkswagen Polo. +++
+++ Almost no one noticed it, but as of April 29, it’s official: the VOLKSWAGEN TOURAN is dead. On that day, the model’s last example rolled off the line in Wolfsburg. It’s not a huge surprise, at a little over 11 years old, the second-generation compact minivan was by far the oldest model in Volkswagen’s local line-up. Between December 2002 and December 2025, a total of 1.070.558 Tourans were newly registered in Germany. With 95.408 units, 2004 was the model’s strongest sales year. In total, around 2.3 million Tourans were built, most recently at roughly 20.000 units per year. Last year in Germany, more than 14.000 Tourans were registered; at its peak, it was over 52.000. That means Volkswagen now has no minivan left in its line-up. As the reason for the production stop, Volkswagen says the Touran does not comply with the UN “General Safety Regulation II, Stage C” that takes effect on July 6, 2026, meaning it can no longer be newly registered without an exemption. Auto 5000 GmbH marked a distinctive chapter in Volkswagen history that’s closely tied to the Touran’s success. At the start of the millennium, VW faced the challenge of building its new compact MPV cost-effectively in Germany rather than moving production to lower-wage countries. Under the slogan “5000 times 5000,” a program was created that was tailored specifically to producing this vehicle. The first Touran wasn’t just a new model, it was the centerpiece of an industrial experiment meant to prove that flatter hierarchies, team-based work, and more flexible labour agreements could make competitive production in Wolfsburg possible. VW’s labor chief at the time: Peter Hartz, later the namesake of the “Hartz IV” welfare reforms. Starting in late 2002, the Touran rolled off the line exclusively in Auto 5000’s hall. Employees (often recruited from the unemployed) were trained specifically for assembling this model. Because the Touran was based on the Golf V platform yet featured significantly greater interior complexity and a wider range of configurations, Auto 5000 served as a real-world testbed for modern manufacturing methods. The MPV’s success initially validated the concept; the Touran quickly became a segment leader. The portfolio expanded only with the Tiguan’s 2007 launch, but the Touran remained the defining face of the “5000” initiative. In May 2015, production of the second-generation Touran began in Wolfsburg. The Touran II was about 13 cm longer and 3 cm wider than the previous Touran, benefiting interior space in particular. The second row featured 3 individual seats and a third row was optional. Since 2024, the engine lineup has been limited to the 1.5 TSI with 150 hp and the 2.0 TDI with 122 hp or 150 hp. There is no direct successor to the Touran; in terms of size, the Tiguan is comparable. But 7 seats are only offered as an option in the significantly larger Tayron. It’s a familiar pattern: as with other brands, SUVs are inheriting the role MPVs once played. Too bad, really. +++