Cars news

• Death by 100,000 cuts? How VW Group went wrong – and how they'll fix it

  20-07-2026 06:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Factory closures, model cancellations and job cuts on the cards as firm races to rebuild marginsThe Volkswagen Group is facing one of the toughest battles of its recent history as it scrambles to reduce costs and stay competitive in the face of Chinese rivals, while satisfying the demands of its heavily unionised workforce in Germany.
  Company boss Oliver Blume came clean to staff last week about the need to cut as many as 100,000 jobs – around one in seven of its global workforce and 50,00
  
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• Is Genesis a success? It depends how you judge a premium brand

  21-07-2026 06:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Hyundai subsidiary prioritises brand prestige over fast European market growth, but can it ever match Lexus?What defines success for a car company? Sales, profits, happy dealers, happy customers, brand awareness: these are all attributes that go into what we would consider a healthy automotive business.
  All of which makes judging the success of Genesis quite difficult. It's now five years since Hyundai's premium brand launched in the UK, but rather than a brand with five years of exper
  
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• The New Mercedes-Maybach GLS Debuts With More Power, Better Style

  21-07-2026 05:00 via motor1.com
  
  The 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 now makes 603 horsepower. It goes on sale later this year.  
  
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• Petrol-powered Peugeot 208 to remain on sale past 2030

  21-07-2026 05:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Combustion-engined 208 will continue for the foreseable – but CEO expects EV to become more popularPeugeot will keep the current 208 supermini on sale with petrol power well into the future, with CEO Alain Favey confirming the new electric e-208 will be sold alongside the ICE car rather than as a replacement for it.
  "We will continue to offer the 208 in its current form to cover the part of the market that will still not be EV and will still require some ICE or hybrid solutions," he s
  
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• MPs weigh 20mph limit for England as motoring groups hit back

  21-07-2026 05:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  MPs accused of wanting to "make car use more difficult" over proposal for 20mph default limitMPs are considering adopting a default 20mph speed limit across England - but critics have argued they are being sidelined in the debate and claim the evidence supporting similar schemes is flawed.
  Earlier this month, the Transport Select Committee invited road safety experts to discuss evidence about 20mph limits and explore whether England should follow Wales in reducing the standard restricted speed l
  
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• Polestar Won't Fight US Ban, Effectively Ending Its American Future

  20-07-2026 22:42 via motor1.com
  
  The automaker says it won't challenge a federal ban on future vehicle sales, despite now building some of its cars outside China.
  
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• The New Maybach GLS Shows Its Face For The First Time

  20-07-2026 21:30 via motor1.com
  
  The Maybach version of Mercedes' flagship SUV should debut sometime this year.
  
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• What Every Nissan Brake Caliper Color Means

  20-07-2026 20:34 via motor1.com
  
  The color of the caliper tells you a lot about the level of performance of a given Nissan model.
  
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• Genesis Says There's Room For A Smaller EV

  20-07-2026 19:00 via motor1.com
  
  Genesis is not looking to enter a segment just for a quick win.
  
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• It's Official: A Legendary Honda Tuner Was Bought By Private Equity

  20-07-2026 16:13 via motor1.com
  
  The company that already owns Cobb Tuning, PRL, and AutoMeter has acquired Hondata, as confirmed to Motor1.
  
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• Jeep And Ram Have New Bosses

  20-07-2026 15:53 via motor1.com
  
  Two industry veterans take over as CEO Antonio Filosa continues reshaping Stellantis' North American leadership team.
  
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• New Audi A2 looks like original as final shape uncovered

  20-07-2026 13:44 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Reborn A2 will be revealed this autumn, but new pictures showcase striking resemblance to the originalAudi is gearing up for the reveal of the new A2 this autumn – and a prototype has now shed the majority of its camouflage, revealing a strong resemblance to its ancestor.
  The electric crossover will evoke the spirit of the supermini in both function and form, as Audi revives the name after a two-decade hiatus.
  The German firm officially confirmed the revival of the A2 at its annual me
  
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• Is McLaren Really Bringing Back The Manual Gearbox?

  20-07-2026 13:32 via motor1.com
  
  A wild new rumor alleges that McLaren will launch its first manual car in nearly 30 years.
  
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• Polestar 2 used buying guide: 400 miles of range for £20k

  20-07-2026 12:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Polestar's first EV, the 2, is Scandi-cool on wheels and now a £12k bargainAppearances can be deceptive.
  The Polestar 2 might look like a high-riding saloon but it's not. It's actually a hatchback, so it's more practical than its closest rival, the Tesla Model 3, yet sleeker and more handsome than a Model Y.
  Buyers here have certainly cottoned on to this Scandi-chic EV's charms, to the extent that the UK is its largest market. As a result, there is an abundance of used examples, starting f
  
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• Lamborghini Revuelto SV Spied With License Plate Dangling From The Rear

  20-07-2026 11:43 via motor1.com
  
  With the bulky camo now gone, the Superveloce appears ready for prime time.
  
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• Smart #2: Fortwo successor being primed for October unveiling

  20-07-2026 11:27 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Smart returns to its city car roots with tiny new #2, due next year as UK's smallest electric carSmart is putting the finishing touches on the new #2 ahead of its unveiling at October's Paris motor show.
  The replacement for Smart's signature model, the Fortwo, marks the brand's return to its roots after launching a range of electric crossovers – including the #5, its largest model yet.
  Due in UK dealerships next year, it has been designed to offer what Smart calls "uncompromised urban
  
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• Reborn Audi A2 Reveals Funky Styling After Losing Camouflage

  20-07-2026 10:22 via motor1.com
  
  Audi's entry-level EV has swapped the usual camo for a striking E-Tron livery that doesn't hide much.
  
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• Genesis mulls small premium EV as it expands line-up

  20-07-2026 10:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Genesis Mint concept was revealed in 2019
  Korean premium brand could channel 2019 Mint concept as it explores possibility of a plush small EVGenesis is open to launching smaller electric cars in the future as it continues to expand its range.
  For now, its smallest is the 4.5m-long GV60 crossover, which leaves plenty of room below it.
  It has experimented with a smaller model in the past with the Mint concept in 2019.
  Now it's investigating future segments that it could enter i
  
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• 'Slow, pricey' franchised dealers being overlooked for repairs

  20-07-2026 08:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Fleet operators are increasingly looking beyond manufacturer partners to keep their vehicles on the roadCompany car downtime dropped to a six-year low in the first quarter of 2026, as fleets diverted work away from franchised dealers amid ongoing pressure on repair lead times.
  Data from Epyx's 1Link Service Network platform, which manages service, maintenance and repair bookings for 4.9 million company cars and vans, shows vehicles averaged around 1.5 days off the road for workshop visits i
  
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• Kia Sportage, Volvo XC40, VW T-Roc: what's the best family SUV?

  20-07-2026 05:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  The new T-Roc has some best-selling shoes to fill, can it beat its rivals and do it again?A comprehensive waiting party for the new Volkswagen T-Roc would include upwards of 30 rivals, depending on at which point you stop your tape measure.
  The small (although not the smallest) crossover market is perhaps the most burgeoning of all: its population is split between internal combustion, electric and hybrid competitors, and it's proving to be a merry hunting ground for fresh Chinese manufactur
  
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• This Tiny Hatchback Is The Best-Selling Car In China. But How?

  19-07-2026 18:00 via motor1.com
  
  China's hottest EV isn't an SUV—it's an affordable hatchback that's outselling the Tesla Model Y.
  
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• Bentley honey, Volvo blankets: The truth about car testing 'freebies'

  19-07-2026 16:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Dacia Duster model was procured on Verpraet's very first press trip
  The Jeep M&Ms are nice and I like my Polestar bottle - but gifts don't mean five-star reviewsThere’s an uncomfortable truth in motoring media that isn’t talked about very often: there are a lot of freebies going around. Some of them are necessary, of course. We can’t test a car properly without spending a decent amount of time in it, so it does mean getting a ‘free’ car for the week.
  It’s
  
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• The best cars never sold in America

  19-07-2026 09:39 via autocar.co.uk
  
  We take a look at the great cars that America has missed out on over the yearsUntil China took over in 2009, America was the world’s largest car market.This meant that all car makers did their level best to get a piece of the action. But there have long been substantial differences between the American market and those in Europe and Asia. And those differences tend to account for why certain models were never sold there.
  But it does mean that America misses out on great vehicles like the B
  
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• Britain’s best dead car companies

  19-07-2026 09:39 via autocar.co.uk
  
  A journey back in time to some of the UK's most excellent car companies, sadly now deceased
  Car-making is hard.Profitable car-making is a whole lot harder, and for proof you only need take a look at the failed British car companies we’re looking at here.
  Some were born close to the dawn of the car, when bicycle-makers saw money in the new-fangled horseless carriage. But it wasn’t easy. Car-making at the start of the 20th century was like internet projects at the end of it - plenty tr
  
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• 12 cylinders, 12,000 miles: I drive my Lambo Diablo SV in all weathers

  19-07-2026 07:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Seven years of ownership has taught Peter Dietsch how to live with a '90s Italian supercarThe odometer in Peter Dietsch's right-hand drive, UK-registered Lamborghini Diablo reads 83,000, but that's kilometres, not miles.
  Bizarrely, while the speedos in most pre-1999 Diablos were calibrated in both MPH and KPH, as required by law, their odos always displayed the distance the car had travelled in kilometres. That's why, when I ask Peter how many miles he has done in his, he replies, rather confusi
  
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• Santa Pod at 60: Why home of drag racing is stronger than ever

  19-07-2026 05:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Racers blasting beyond 300mph never gets old - but there's much more to UK's most famous drag strip
  If you like extremes, you'll love Top Fuel drag racing. Some numbers: 0-343mph in 3.6sec, 11,500bhp, fuel consumption of five gallons per second... To these can now be added '60' - as in 60 years of Santa Pod Raceway (1966-2026), the drag mecca in Bedfordshire. Or is it Northamptonshire? Both councils claim it but then nothing's normal in this sport, including Keith Bartlett, the Bernie Ecclestone
  
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• The Audi Q7 Gets A Price Hike, While The SQ7 Nears $100,000

  18-07-2026 15:00 via motor1.com
  
  The 2027 Audi Q7 and SQ7 have new designs, updated powertrains, and higher price tags.
  
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• Stop slicing our salami: The real reason behind the Ferrari Luce furore

  18-07-2026 15:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Why has the electric Ferrari attracted so much ire? It all started with a missing olive in 1987It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when the continuous chipping away of nice things began. I think you could make a case that Robert Crandall is the poster boy for the movement - which you could call shrinkflation, or enshittification, or something else, as you prefer - because of what he did as American Airlines CEO in 1987.
  Crandall realised that removing one olive from each salad served to pas
  
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• Honda Super-N road test: £19k Twingo chaser is "truly fun to drive'

  18-07-2026 09:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Kei car-based cutie escapes from Japan as Honda’s latest EV ventureThe Honda Super-N, along with the Renault Twingo, is one of the green shoots appearing in the scorched earth that was the previously thriving A-segment. Fun, affordable small cars have had a tough time with legislation and profitability, leaving them neither much fun nor very affordable. As battery prices are coming down, though, there’s now hope that A-segment cars can return as EVs.With the £18,995 Super
  
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• Honda Super-N road test: £19k Twingo chaser is “truly fun to drive”

  18-07-2026 09:00 via autocar.co.uk
  
  Kei car-based cutie escapes from Japan as Honda’s latest EV ventureThe Honda Super-N, along with the Renault Twingo, is one of the green shoots appearing in the scorched earth that was the previously thriving A-segment. Fun, affordable small cars have had a tough time with legislation and profitability, leaving them neither much fun nor very affordable. As battery prices are coming down, though, there’s now hope that A-segment cars can return as EVs.With the £18,995 Super
  
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