+++ When AUDI launched the third-generation Q7 earlier this week, there was a huge discrepancy in the engine offerings between the European and North American versions. On the Old Continent, customers don’t get to choose because the luxury SUV is available at launch exclusively with a turbodiesel 3.0-liter V6 featuring mild-hybrid technology. Because of this, in The Netherlands the new Q7 won’t be available at all. In the United States, the Mercedes GLE rival comes with twin-turbo V6 and V8 engines. I was just as surprised as you (probably) were to see Europe’s Q7 limited to a single engine, a diesel one at that. Diesel is on its last legs on the continent, having fallen dramatically from its popularity peak in the mid-2010s, when it represented more than half of all new car sales. Through the first 4 months of the year, diesel accounted for 6.7 percent of total registrations. Naturally, I decided to ask Audi why the all-new Q7 carries only a TDI badge at launch in Europe. Although diesel is clearly on a downward route, a company spokesperson said the powertrain was prioritized because it’s expected to be the most popular choice among buyers. “Based on customer demand, we start with the most important engines per market or region. In Europe, this is the V6 TDI with 299 hp and 245 hp output. Both engines have MHEV plus technology with an additional 24 hp”. If you feel diesel is past its prime, Audi plans to expand the lineup with a V6 gasoline engine in Europe between late 2026 and early 2027. A plug-in hybrid powertrain will also join the range around the same time. An electrified version is no surprise, given that the Volkswagen Group already offers plenty of 6- and 8-cylinder PHEVs across its vast portfolio. There’s no word yet on whether Europeans will ever get the V8-powered SQ7, which is available at launch in North America, where the 4.0-liter engine produces 600 horsepower. Audi aficionados may remember that the Four Rings once sold the SQ7 with a V8 diesel in Europe before switching to a gasoline engine a few years ago. Strange times. Since its launch in 2005, the Q7 has served as Audi’s largest SUV, but that’s about to change. The first-ever Q9 debuts later this year, and we’ve already seen its high-end interior. Predictably, the 2 luxobarges are cut from the same cloth, but the Q9 will add an extra dose of luxury and space. +++
+++ BMW has moved its fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) development on another step with the new ‘BMW Hydrogen Flat Storage’ system; a new method of storing compressed hydrogen on board vehicles. This new approach overcomes a major barrier because it’s modular and fits into the same space in the iX5 as the ‘Gen6’ high-voltage EV battery. There’s no intrusion into cabin space as there might be with more conventional tanks and, crucially, it allows iX5 Hydrogen models to be built on the same production line as other powertrain types. The production X5 now supports 5 types of powertrain (petrol, diesel, BEV, plug-in hybrid and now FCEV) in what BMW calls a “technology-open approach”. All powertrain variants will share BMW’s new ‘Heart of Joy’ centralised control unit, combining drivetrain, braking and driving dynamics into one system. BMW says the iX5 FCEV’s electric motor is exactly the same as the BEV version’s. But rather than one large battery, a hydrogen fuel cell stack generates electricity drawing on hydrogen stored in on-board tanks. A small high-voltage lithium ion buffer battery provides the bursts of energy for acceleration and stores energy during regenerative braking. The new Hydrogen Flat Storage system holds enough compressed hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar to give the iX5 a range of 614 km. Early prototypes were equipped with a pair of tanks storing 6 kg of hydrogen for a range of 500 km. Being able to produce a fuel cell car on an existing platform where a compressed gas fuel storage system fits in the same space as an EV sibling’s battery is significant for making an FCEV viable to build and sell. Given the X5 architecture can support 5 different drive system variants, it should be possible to scale manufacturing to match demand rather than relying on bespoke manufacturing, which is how FCEVs have been made in the past. That should be a good fit with what is still a limited worldwide hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The Hydrogen Flat Storage system consists of 7 slim tanks replacing the larger twin tanks of the early cars.
Each one is a ‘Type 4’ design, which means it’s constructed from carbonfibre-reinforced composite wrapped around a polymer liner. The tanks are connected in parallel, hold a total of 7 kg of hydrogen and can be refilled at a hydrogen pump in under 5 minutes. The 7 tanks are integrated into a metal frame and controlled by a single, main, central control valve rather than operating separately. It forms part of the overall fuel cell powertrain, at the heart of which is the latest ‘Gen3’ fuel cell system developed with FCEV veteran Toyota. BMW says the pilot fleet of 100 iX5 Hydrogen prototypes was successfully tested worldwide and in 2028 will become its first hydrogen-powered model to enter series production. +++
+++ If things had gone differently, HONDA might have a different CEO right now. Apparently, a group of former Honda executives wanted to remove Toshihiro Mibe. They were reportedly not happy with how he was running the automaker. In recent months, Honda has made drastic changes to its operations regarding electric vehicles. It announced it would abandon its plan to go fully electric by 2040 after it killed 3 upcoming electric vehicles. The company also posted its first annual loss in nearly 70 years. The former executives met late last year and began compiling their grievances against Mibe. They were unhappy with Honda’s performance in China and believed the CEO was focused on the wrong priorities, such as sports sponsorships. A written summary of the discussions revealed concerns about Mibe not listening to customers and how his comments sometimes hurt morale. In April of this year, the report states that former chief executive Nobuhiko Kawamoto visited Mibe and told him to resign. Mibe remains Honda’s CEO and will take a 30 percent pay cut due to the annual loss. What’s Next For Honda? With several upcoming models now cancelled, the automaker plans to keep a few existing ones around for a bit longer. The Odyssey will remain in production until March 2030, when a new one arrives alongside the HR-V, which will hang around even longer. The Accord will receive a major redesign while maintaining the current powertrain lineup. The sedan will have a sportier, more aggressive design that ditches the current car’s conservative appearance. It might become hybrid-only in 2030. +++
+++ MG will preview the design of its forthcoming electric supermini with a new concept car that’s due to be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Teaser images released by MG showcase the front and rear flanks of the hatchback, hinting at a fresh design language distinct from recent models such as the 4 Urban and S5. A production version of the concept will arrive in showrooms next year, MG has confirmed. It’s expected to be called the MG 2.
The British boss of MG, David Allison, last year told that the 2 is “the obvious marketarea that’s next to happen” for the Chinese brand. He suggested that MG is refocusing on value for money rather than offering the outright cheapest option in each class it enters. He said: “I think we have moved on. Not consciously, but other brands and other products have come in that are the cheapest. If you look at the price of the Dacia Spring and you look at the price of the Leapmotors, that’s not the space we occupy, and I don’t necessarily think it will be the space that we can occupy. I think our ethos has always been about value. You know, it has not necessarily been about being the cheapest; it has been about providing the most that we can for the best value for money. The ZS is Nissan Qashqai-sized, but it’s Juke money. And I dare say we will see something similar with the 2”. The 2 will be based on the same Modular Scalable Platform as the 4 EV, so it’s likely to be rear-wheel-drive. Alongside the supermini concept, MG will show a ‘design vision’ of an aspirational model at the Festival of Speed. This too will be electric, but further details are yet to emerge. +++
+++ Hard to believe it’s been over a decade since PORSCHE took the wraps off the Mission E concept. The company’s first indication that it would later enter the EV segment arrived in September 2015 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. 4 years later, the production-ready Taycan made its official debut at the same event. Reflecting on the car’s arrival nearly seven years ago, the company’s boss now claims it may have been launched too soon. In hindsight, Michael Leiters believes Porsche was “apparently too quick to embrace electric mobility”, suggesting the Taycan arrived before people could fully appreciate its potential. He went on to say the company considers itself a “pioneer in e-mobility” for launching the electric sedan toward the end of 2019. Taycan sales haven’t been strong over the past couple of years. Not only that, but 2026 isn’t shaping up to be any better. Deliveries of Porsche’s inaugural EV fell 19 percent in the first quarter to just 3.420 units. On the flip side, the electric Macan is performing much better, with shipments reaching 8.079 crossovers through March. Nevertheless, the gasoline-powered model remains the more popular of the two Macans, with 10.130 units delivered, despite no longer being sold in Europe since mid-2024 after failing to comply with an EU cybersecurity regulation. Porsche’s head honcho announced that investments in EVs will continue. As previously revealed, electric versions of the Boxster and Cayman are still on track. The 3-row SUV positioned above the Cayenne will launch first with combustion engines and hybrid powertrains, but EV variants remain part of the plan. It’s worth noting that Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume was appointed Porsche CEO only weeks after the Mission E concept was unveiled in the fall of 2015. At the start of 2026, former Ferrari CTO and McLaren CEO Michael Leiters succeeded Blume as Porsche’s top executive. Elsewhere in the lineup, the first-generation Macan is going out of production this summer, with an Audi Q5-derived replacement carrying a different name due in 2028. It will offer gasoline engines and plug-in hybrid variants, which will also remain part of the Panamera and Cayenne line-ups well into the 2030s. Additionally, the combustion-engine 718 sports car duo will return after production ended late last year. As for the 911, it has already received the hybrid treatment, but Porsche won’t go any further with electrification. Leiters ruled out a pure EV. Instead, Zuffenhausen wants to secure the car’s future with cleaner combustion engines and hybrid technology to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations. +++
+++ The TESLA MODEL 3 has been voted the best car to own in the 2026 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first publication of the UK’s most comprehensive car ownership survey, with the 2026 edition compiling opinions from over 100.000 drivers across the country on the cars they drive. Elon Musk’s electric saloon dominated this year’s survey, topping 3 of the 10 categories (Engine & Gearbox, Safety Features and Quality & Reliability) and performing well in almost all others. Owners love almost everything about their Model 3s, especially now quality has improved. The electric saloon is the only car to be rated 100 percent in a category, with owners giving a perfect score for the drivetrain smoothness. The inherent smoothness of an electric drivetrain appears to be something owners value immensely, with 2026 marking a new record for the performance on EV models in Driver Power. 6 models in the top-10 are either exclusively available as an EV, or offered with an electric powertrain as an option. That’s up from just 1 in 2025 and 2 in 2024. However, it was the petrol and diesel-powered BMW 2 Series Coupe that took the runner-up spot for 2026. The quality of the 2 Series’ interior finish and materials is highly rated. As a Coupe, it’s no surprise that the 2 Series is praised for its driving dynamics, with owners rating it third-best for powertrain performance and placing its ride and handling in second place, Rounding out the podium places was the new Opel Grandland which is one of the aforementioned models available with both petrol and electric power. With the previous-generation model the second-place finisher in last year’s survey, the Grandland is no stranger to the Driver Power top-10, and even though it has slipped a place since last year, this is still a great result for Opel. Surprisingly for a car at this level of the chart, it can’t claim number-one spots in any category, but it does win several runner-up positions, which help push up the overall score. The rest of the top 10 was filled out by the Ford Kuga, Opel Frontera, BMW 1 Series, Peugeot 2008, Opel Mokka, Hyundai Tucson and Peugeot 3008. This year’s Driver Power data does show overall owner satisfaction has decreased over the last few years, driven largely by obtrusive safety systems and tech. Perks emphasised how “it is clear that it’s not the amount of tech that’s the issue, but how drivers interact with it. As systems multiply, usability is clearly becoming the sticking point”, +++
+++ Earlier this year, TOYOTA confirmed plans to develop a new mid-engine sports car. It’s expected to be the spiritual successor to the MR2, the 2-seater Toyota sold from the 1980s to the mid-2000s, and when it does arrive, it will have all-wheel drive. Naohiko Saito, Toyota GR’s chief engineer, revealed that the company’s initial testing uncovered “that the combination of an all-wheel drive mid-ship layout offers the best layout for high-performance driving”.
Toyota has been testing half of this equation in its mid-engine Concept M prototype, which competes in Japan’s Super Taikyu Series and is rear-wheel drive. The car was in the first of 4 development stages in January when the automaker confirmed it was working on the model. Toyota does not expect a production version to arrive for at least 4 more years, if not longer. It will likely feature a design similar to that of the FT-Se concept. When it goes on sale, it will likely feature the G20E engine, a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder rumored to make over 400 horsepower. The car should also feature the 8-speed automatic gearbox designed for the GR Corolla and GR Yaris. +++