Street News

A Sign of the Times Is the era of the simple car coming to an end, or is pushing the boundaries of software development the new normal? Either way, cars are relying more and more on programming, and there's no stopping that train whether we like it or not. BMW is well aware of this, to the point that BMW's development chief had declared that vehicle design is defined more by software than hardware. "In the past, platforms were largely defined by body styles and engine layouts. Today, digital fun

A Familiar Name, a Very Different Future The Volkswagen Touareg has always been a bit of an outlier in the brand’s lineup. It never tried to be flashy or chase a premium badge, but it quietly shared a lot with the Audi Q7. Same bones, less attention. Over time, the Touareg earned a reputation for doing things its own way. It came with some of Volkswagen’s most unusual engines – V10 TDI and W12 – yet it could handle rough roads and long highway drives without fuss. It towed well, cruised comforta

EV discounts have been particularly aggressive in the U.S. in recent months, given cooling demand for fully electric models and the loss of the federal tax credit last year. For a relatively young brand like Polestar, the deals are even more attractive as the EV maker looks to grow its footprint in this market. This month, Polestar is offering mega incentives for its midsize SUV, the Polestar 3. If you’re a Tesla owner looking to switch to Polestar, you can put yourself in a position to save ove

It seemed that tariffs would kill any chance of Kia's Tasman pickup reaching the U.S., and it still may not, but the Korean marque has just announced new plans for a body-on-frame midsize truck that will arrive before the end of the decade. At the automaker's annual investor day, CEO Ho Sung Song said that Kia is aiming for annual U.S. sales of 1.02 million vehicles and a 6.2 percent market share (across all model lines) by introducing a new line of electrified vehicles, which includes extended-

The Hyundai Tucson is getting ready for a major redesign for the 2027 model year, and recent spy shots and leaked images are offering clues as to what we should expect from the next-generation compact SUV. The transition from the fourth-generation model to the fifth-gen Tucson (codenamed NX5) will likely be as dramatic as the switch from the third-generation Tucson to the current version in 2020. At least that’s the vibe that next-generation Tucson pre-production prototypes recently spotted in S

Honda’s American Lineup Will Start to Feel a Pinch Honda was once promising a bold electric push, but the company has now slowed sharply in North America. With the move away from battery EVs, there’s a clear gap in the lineup. If you were hoping for a new Honda EV, you’ll be waiting much longer. Honda has canceled several planned EVs, and even the Prologue’s future is unclear. The real question is what’s coming next – or what isn’t. Reports say Honda won’t launch any significant new models in th

Getting a car diagnosed has always been a bit of a lottery. A knock, a whine from somewhere under the hood, or a grinding that only appears when you brake at speed. You take it to the dealership, do your best to describe it, and the quality of what comes back depends almost entirely on who happens to be working that day. AutoSonix is hoping to change that. Their AI-powered device plugs into a car's OBD-II port, listens to the vehicle, and converts sounds into diagnostic data in real time, no gue

Smart's Unorthodox Path Smart started out as a joint venture between Daimler-Benz and the makers of Swatch watches, SMH, resulting in the formation of Micro Compact Car AG in 1994. The first product of that partnership eventually resulted in the Smart City-Coupe that made its world premiere in 1998. It would later be called the ForTwo in 2002, and it was eventually joined by the Roadster and ForFour in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Despite initial success, the brand saw its fair share of struggle

In the world of custom, one-off cars, you’ll typically find moneyed collectors paying exorbitant amounts for Rolls-Royces and Bentleys that will spend most of their lives garaged. So, it’s quite refreshing to find a one-off project for something a lot smaller, simpler, and driver-focused. The car in question is a Mini John Cooper Works Convertible, and a longtime Mini fan in the U.S. decided they wanted something more unique than what’s available from the factory. Mini Plant Oxford was tasked wi

In an ironic twist of fate, a Chinese SUV with looks that mimic premium British styling—particularly the Range Rover Evoque—has become the UK’s best-selling vehicle in March. The Jaecoo 7 compact SUV, built by Chinese automaker Chery, saw 10,064 registrations in Britain last month, overtaking the previous top-selling car, the Ford Puma subcompact crossover (9,193 units sold), and the Nissan Qashqai (8,718 units), a longtime favorite of British car buyers. From Zero to Hero in Only 14 Months

Mitsubishi Sets Its Sights on the “Real” Land Cruiser We already know the Mitsubishi Pajero is returning. The name is confirmed, the comeback is locked in, and the timing is starting to look clearer. Current reports point to a global debut sometime in the third quarter of 2026, with order books opening shortly after and first deliveries trickling in toward December. It’s also clear where Mitsubishi is aiming. The new Pajero isn’t returning to blend in with the crowd. It’s being developed to go h

The second-generation Toyota GR86 first went into production back in 2021, which means a successor can’t be too far off. Toyota’s most affordable sports car, the current GR86 shares a platform and engine with the equally fun Subaru BRZ. While concrete information about the next GR86 has been scarce until now, a Japanese publication called Best Car magazine recently shared new details about the next GR86’s powertrain. If you’re expecting a big boost in power, you may be disappointed—but the rumor

A late-season winter storm is set to bury the Northern Sierra Nevada under feet of snow this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service in Sacramento to issue a Winter Storm Watch for the west slope and Western Plumas County above 4,500 feet. The heaviest impacts are expected from late Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. What to Expect The NWS is forecasting 12 to 24 inches of snow above 4,500 feet, with 36 to 48 inches possible at the highest peaks. Snow levels will start relatively h

Bentley is exploring a limited-run off-road model while preparing its first electric vehicle and a next-generation Bentayga — a combination that reflects how significantly the British luxury brand's thinking has shifted in recent years. Speaking with Autoblog at the 2026 New York Auto Show, Bentley Americas CEO Mike Rocco outlined a strategy that looks quite different from the one the company was pursuing just a few years ago. "We're not on the same track that was announced four or five years ag

Mazda’s Upmarket Push Mazda once occupied a similar space to brands like Toyota and Hyundai, but a number of changes gradually gave the brand a more premium feel. The introduction of Kodo design on the CX-5 in 2012 was one of them, though Mazda still isn’t on the same level as luxury brands like Lexus. Still, the Japanese marque is reinforcing its market position with a survey exploring what consumers today consider “premium” in a car. The survey, which polled 1,000 U.S. vehicle owners who purch

Having joined the race to zero emissions, Mercedes-Benz, like other European carmakers, has committed itself to a fully electric future. As quickly as they all joined the race, though, it seems they are just as quickly easing themselves out of it. This is not because the environment is healing, but rather because even America’s best-selling EV manufacturer has dealerships full of unsold inventory. One could conclude, then, that while there is demand for EVs, the supply of EVs in the American mar

Stopping the Buck Since 2024, Mercedes-Benz has experienced a slow but steady decline in sales. It dipped by 4 percent that year and fell by another 9 percent in 2025. Not wanting to see those numbers reach double-digits, the company is changing its strategy yet again. The solution? Appeal to the masses by going for the 'mainstream premium' crowd. Granted, Mercedes-Benz was always mainstream, but according to Car Magazine, the company nearly abandoned the entry-level luxury market. Back in 2022,

If you're looking for a small sedan with raucous performance and a manual transmission, your choices are about to get slimmer. Orders for the Cadillac CT4 range, including the high-performance CT4-V Blackwing derivative, are set to close on April 20, according to GM Authority, leaving enthusiasts one less option and likely marking the end of an era, as no CT4 replacement has been announced. With the XT4 already gone, this means sub-$40,000 Caddies will cease to exist, but at least the CT4's bigg

$275K Can Go a Long Way At $275,000, the EMC 620GE enters pricing territory that rivals flagship luxury SUVs. A brand-new Range Rover SV starts at a similar level, while a well-optioned Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 delivers far more technology, refinement, and everyday usability. On paper, this vintage military truck should not even be in the same conversation. Yet here it is, commanding the same money with none of the conventional benchmarks buyers expect at this price point. That disconnect is pr

Ford rates the Mustang Dark Horse at 500 horsepower and 418 lb-ft of torque at the crank. That's the figure on the spec sheet, but crank horsepower is measured at the engine, before drivetrain losses to friction. What actually matters to the person behind the wheel is wheel horsepower, and that's where things usually get interesting. Based on typical drivetrain loss figures, most people expected the Dark Horse to land somewhere around 440 wheel horsepower. A reasonable assumption, and one that t

The combination of an AMG badge and a small four-cylinder engine with a massive turbo and electric assistance hasn't been particularly well received by Mercedes fans, and according to a new report, the German automaker will be replacing the SL 43 with a new, straight-six-powered SL 53. Auto Motor und Sport reports that the M139 four-pot will be replaced by the M256 Evo mild-hybrid powertrain, with the entry-level AMG SL gaining a new name to signify its upgrade, but this change isn't purely beca

All Senses Engaged The roar of an internal combustion engine has been an intrinsic part of the driving experience until now. As the shift to electric mobility accelerates, engine noise is being replaced by near-silent performance, much to the dismay of enthusiasts. Toyota, however, believes that cars are to be experienced with all five senses, and is paying special attention to EV sound design in an effort to keep drivers engaged by engineering a complete sensory experience. 

Texas-based Hennessey has never been a stranger to speed, modifying and racing several cars and trucks since its inception in 1991, along with introducing an all-American hypercar. In celebration of its 35th anniversary in 2026, the company has revealed an ultra-limited take on the Ford Mustang GT with 70 percent more power, special graphics and badges, and some carbon fiber. This 35th Anniversary Super Venom will be limited to just 35 units, and further down the road, it will be joined by a new

America’s most popular vehicles, the full-size pickup trucks from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, may be banned from Europe in a move that has angered US carmakers. According to Financial Times, US automakers are accusing the European Union of planning to keep trucks like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500 off European roads by enforcing new safety rules that would exempt them from the trade deal between the EU and the US. US Automakers Sold 7,000 Pickups and SUVs in Euro

Copycats Crowding the Off-Road Space Jeep isn’t backing off as more brands flood the market with rugged styling cues seemingly taken from their vehicles. Instead, it is leaning further into its identity. Speaking to Australian media at the Easter Jeep Safari, Jeep Vice President of Exterior Design Vince Galante told Car Expert that the rise of copycat design cues is motivating the brand internally. He noted that elements once unique to Jeep are now everywhere, but that only reinforces what Jeep

The Chevrolet Malibu reached the end of the line last year, but the now-discontinued affordable midsize sedan isn't out of GM's hair just yet. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, General Motors is recalling the Malibu because of a common problem: its rearview camera doesn't work properly. The problem affects 2023-2025 models, impacting some 271,770 examples of the sedan that were built between May 26, 2022, and July 18, 2024. Unlike several similar rearview camera fa

True Enthusiast Any true Petrol Head will claim that any involvement with the car is part of the lifestyle. Car guys like to fettle and tinker with their vehicles, getting to know them in depth, including their quirks and features. This is admittedly easier to do with older vehicles; the lack of technology and simpler engines lead to DIY moments. Modern cars are built differently and often require specialists for repairs and tuning (unless absolutely necessary), but sometimes rare opportunities